The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. As we mark the commemoration of its 20th anniversary this year, it is essential to reflect on the progress made in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and the lessons learned—particularly DRR efforts with and for the most at-risk populations, such as people with disabilities. The devastating events of 2004 exposed the critical need to address the unique challenges faced by people with disabilities in disaster situations, challenges that continue to persist today.

The 9.1 magnitude earthquake triggered a mega-tsunami on 26 December 2004 that devastated almost the entire coastal area of Aceh province of Indonesia and killed over 200,000 people across various places in and around the Indian Ocean. The depth of this devastation is beyond our imagination, and the majority of deaths recorded were in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, and Maldives. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and nine other nations faced significant losses of lives and coastal assets including crops and marine resources. In particular, India’s southeastern coast and Andaman and Nicobar Islands suffered extensive damage.

The 2004 tsunami devastated coastal communities across Southeast and South Asia—including ASEAN Member States Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand—with unprecedented force. The disaster sent shockwaves across the region and left a profound mark on ASEAN, highlighting the urgent need for improved disaster monitoring, preparedness, and response.

On the morning of 26 December 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck, triggering one of the most devastating tsunamis in Asia. My hometown, Aceh, Indonesia was among the hardest hit, and the destruction was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The tsunami destroyed not only physical structures but also left deep emotional and psychological scars on the survivors, including myself and my community.

It has been two decades since the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, but the progress made in disaster resilience and the profound lessons learned have endured. The unprecedented disaster led to marked improvements in disaster risk reduction and management systems, policies, and institutions in the most affected countries. It served as a wake-up call to the international community, facilitating global agreements, bringing changes in humanitarian operations, and ushering in resilience as a public concept. These were underscored at the 2nd Global Forum for Sustainable Resilience in Jakarta on 11-12 September.