参考答案: Education, community awareness of tsunami risk and preparedness are essential to act and react in case of a tsunami. All vulnerable regions need to adopt and develop more effective Tsunami Warning Systems. A perfect warning is useless if people do not know what to do, cannot recognize natural warning signs or do not evacuate immediately on higher grounds.
Over the last 50 years, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has coordinated the Pacific Tsunami Warning System. Following the 26th December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, IOC/UNESCO has coordinated the development of a Global Tsunami Warning System, which now covers the ocean worldwide. Periodic exercises are organized and coupled with evacuation drills at the community level, to foster risk awareness, prevention and preparedness, to reduce exposure and displacements through capacity building, knowledge sharing and networking, early warning and policy advice.
To do this, all countries need to work together. Tsunamis pay no heed to border, and no single country can tackle this challenge alone. This is why today, I call on all Member States to renew commitment and to share expertise and knowledge.