UNESCO Message on the 20th Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami: A Global Reflection on Protecting the Oceans

Just over 20 years ago, in December 2004, an exceptionally powerful tsunami struck the Indian Ocean, destroying everything in its path, claiming the lives of more than 200,000 people and displacing countless others. The disaster was not only a human tragedy on a vast scale, but also a reminder of the immense and often unpredictable power of the ocean and the vulnerability of the millions of people who live along its shores.

Two decades later, the memory of that day continues to shape global awareness and action. Since then, UNESCO has played a leading role in coordinating international efforts to better understand ocean-related hazards, improve tsunami preparedness, deploy advanced warning systems and strengthen the resilience of coastal communities. The ocean, as a source of life, risk and opportunity, requires our continued attention and shared responsibility.

Focus of World Oceans Day 2025

For this reason, on this World Oceans Day, UNESCO emphasizes the urgent need for collective action to protect the ocean and support the communities that depend on it; an effort at the heart of the third United Nations Ocean Conference, which will bring the global ocean community together in Nice, France, this month.

UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

This year is particularly significant as it marks the halfway point of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which UNESCO is proud to lead through its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Since the beginning of the Decade in 2021, more than 700 innovative scientific initiatives have been implemented worldwide, representing important steps towards creating the ocean we need for the future we want.

Three UNESCO Strategies: Knowledge, Protection and Empowerment

As part of this global effort, UNESCO is pursuing a comprehensive approach focused on three priorities: advancing knowledge, strengthening protection and empowering local communities.

From the Seabed to Ocean Literacy

To deepen our collective understanding, UNESCO has made significant advances in ocean science. Since 2017, we have quadrupled the coverage of seabed mapping and expanded our knowledge of marine life, with more than 185,000 species now catalogued in the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.

Alongside these efforts, we have invested in ocean literacy, particularly through the SEA BEYOND Ocean Literacy Centre in Venice, Italy. We are also promoting linguistic and cultural inclusion in the field of ocean knowledge by translating an educational guide on the subject into Swahili; a language spoken by more than 200 million people in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Comoros, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.

From Knowledge to Effective Protection

Knowledge alone, however, is not enough; our Organization is turning this knowledge into action to protect the ocean. We are safeguarding biodiversity in 250 island and coastal biosphere reserves across 82 countries, as well as in 50 marine sites inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Although these areas cover less than 1% of the ocean’s surface, they protect more than one-third of the world’s vulnerable marine species, 21% of blue carbon ecosystems and at least 15% of the world’s coral reefs.

Finally, UNESCO supports communities on the front lines of climate-related hazards. Through initiatives such as the global “Tsunami Ready” recognition program, we have helped 100 communities in 31 countries strengthen their preparedness and resilience in the face of growing threats.

On this World Oceans Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to ocean science, conservation and cooperation. Let us renew our relationship with the ocean, mindful of both its generosity and its fragility. And let us remember, in the words of French historian Jules Michelet:

“Across the surface of the Earth, water is the rule; land is the exception.”