Building on Lessons Learned

Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman reflects on the region’s collective shock and grief over the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and how the response chartered the course of ASEAN cooperation in disaster management. Two decades hence, ASEAN has cemented its capacity for coordinated and effective disaster management. As Chair of the AMMDM, Brunei Darussalam aims to further step up regional efforts and focus on “Building a Resilient ASEAN through Inclusive and Sustainable Disaster

At the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami commemoration event in Jakarta, Nelly Florida Riama, PhD, presented the remarks from the Head of Indonesia Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG), Prof. Dwikorita Karnawati. BMKG highlights the critical lessons from the past two decades, emphasising the importance of systematic observation, innovation, data sharing, and community preparedness in strengthening tsunami early warning systems. Read the full remarks below.

The silent story of global solidarity A Japanese proverb says, “A disaster happens when the last one is forgotten.” No other disaster event in the region has offered as much experience and knowledge as the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004.

On 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the most powerful undersea earthquake since 1964. It triggered a series of immense waves that slammed into the Andaman coastlines. Six provinces in the south of Thailand—Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang, and Satun—were severely devastated. The number of fatalities was approximately 5,400 people, with more than 8,000 injured and 2,800 missing (Nidhiprabha, 2007). Moreover, extensive da

On 26 December 2004, the Earthquake Observation Division under the Thailand Meteorological Department detected and issued an announcement to inform the public that an earthquake occurred in the sea off the west coast of Sumatra.

The 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history, impacting several countries in South and Southeast Asia, including Malaysia. For Malaysia, a country seemingly blessed and spared from having to experience severe natural disasters, the likelihood of a tsunami hitting our shores is considered to be as remote as an asteroid hitting Earth. Yet, the unforeseen did occur—at about 12:45 pm on 26 December 2004, nearly four hours after the magnitude

On December 26, 2004, a massive tsunami struck fourteen nations across the Indian Ocean, leaving a trail of devastation and forever altering the lives of millions. Triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake, this disaster claimed more than a quarter of a million lives. Countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India bore the brunt, with Indonesia suffering the highest toll—173,741 confirmed deaths and 116,368 missing persons. Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra, saw waves up to 30 meters

Shortly before 8 a.m. of 26 December 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake, one of the most powerful in recorded history, shook the ground in Aceh, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Residents rushed out of homes and buildings; some fled for safety and to higher grounds. People on the coast saw the waters recede, but most of them were unaware of the impending disaster that would wipe out whole villages and take away so many lives.

The devastation wrought by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami spurred the world into action, with the ASEAN Member States playing a significant role in the response. In the immediate aftermath, the ASEAN Leaders issued the Declaration on Action to Strengthen Emergency Relief, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Prevention on the Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster. The declaration called for mobilising resources for emergency relief and rehabilitation programmes. At the same time, it recognis

The Indian Ocean Tsunami flattened the coastal communities of Aceh, North Sumatra, killing more than 170,000 people. At least 116,000 are listed as missing. In this section, five survivors share their experiences from the harrowing day of 26 December 2004, how they dealt with the trauma of losing family members, neighbours, and friends, and how the tsunami changed their lives. The narratives are based on interviews conducted by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) through its regional Tsunami Pro