Executive Summary: Tsunami Advisory and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

A report on the tsunami advisory issued for the United States West Coast following a significant seismic event off the coast of eastern Russia. This advisory and the subsequent public guidance underscore the critical importance of disaster risk reduction strategies as outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The protocols and preparedness measures detailed herein are direct applications of principles aimed at fostering resilient communities (SDG 11), ensuring public health and safety (SDG 3), and strengthening adaptive capacity to natural hazards (SDG 13).

Situational Analysis: Distant-Source Tsunami Event

A massive earthquake generated a tsunami threat, prompting the National Tsunami Warning Center to issue an advisory for California, Oregon, and Washington. This event is classified as a distant-source tsunami, allowing for a warning period before potential impact.

Projected Impact Timeline

• Washington State: From 11:35 p.m. Tuesday
• Oregon Coast: From 11:40 p.m. Tuesday
• Northern California (Fort Bragg, Crescent City): From 11:50 p.m. Tuesday
• Central California (Monterey, San Francisco): From 12:15 a.m. Wednesday
• Southern California (Los Angeles, Newport Beach, La Jolla): From 1:05 a.m. Wednesday

Public Safety Directives and Contribution to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

Immediate actions mandated for public safety are designed to minimize human casualties and injuries, directly contributing to SDG 3, Target 3.d, which focuses on strengthening capacity for early warning and risk reduction. The following directives were issued for all individuals in designated hazard zones:

• Evacuate designated hazard zones immediately upon instruction. Evacuation should be conducted on foot to prevent traffic congestion and ensure swift movement to higher ground.
• Remain at a safe, high-ground location until official authorities declare the area safe for return.
• Do not approach the coast to observe the event. Tsunami waves are dangerously fast and unpredictable.
• Under no circumstances should the event be treated as a recreational opportunity (e.g., surfing). Tsunami waves behave as a destructive wall of water, not as conventional surf waves.

Strengthening Community Resilience: Preparedness Measures for SDG 11

Proactive preparedness is fundamental to achieving SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), particularly Target 11.5, which calls for a significant reduction in the number of people affected by disasters. The following measures empower communities to build resilience against coastal hazards.

Strategic Preparedness Actions

1. Consult Official Hazard Maps: The California Department of Conservation provides updated, interactive tsunami hazard maps. Residents must use these tools to determine if their location is within a hazard zone and to identify safe evacuation routes. These resources are available at conservation.ca.gov.
2. Practice Evacuation Routes: Familiarity with evacuation routes is critical. Regular practice ensures an orderly and efficient response during an actual event.
3. Assemble Emergency Kits: Prepare a “go bag” with essential supplies, including water, food, first aid, and medications, to last for a minimum of 72 hours.
4. Implement Maritime Safety Protocols: Boaters and harbor users must consult with their local harbor master to understand and adhere to specific tsunami safety plans for maritime assets.

Tsunami Typology and Risk Assessment for Sustainable Planning

Understanding tsunami sources is vital for effective risk assessment and long-term planning, a cornerstone of sustainable development. This distant-source event from Russia highlights one type of threat, while local sources pose a different challenge.

• Distant-Source Tsunami: Generated by a faraway earthquake, allowing for a multi-hour warning period (5-13 hours) for evacuation. Key sources for California include Alaska, Japan, and Chile. The worst-case scenario from the Aleutian Islands would provide a 5-6 hour warning.
• Local-Source Tsunami: Generated by nearby offshore faults or landslides, this type can arrive within minutes, leaving almost no time for official warnings and necessitating immediate self-evacuation upon sensing ground shaking.

This risk knowledge must be integrated into coastal zone management and urban planning to fulfill the objectives of SDG 11 and SDG 13, ensuring that infrastructure and communities are developed with inherent resilience to such known hazards.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article’s primary focus is on making coastal communities resilient to natural disasters, specifically tsunamis. It details public advisories, evacuation guidance, and the use of hazard maps for cities along the West Coast, which directly relates to creating safe and sustainable human settlements.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  This goal includes strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. While the article doesn’t link the tsunami to climate change, its entire purpose is to bolster community preparedness and response mechanisms for a natural disaster, which is a core component of SDG 13.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The guidance provided aims to prevent deaths and injuries from a tsunami. By advising the public on evacuation procedures and safety measures, the article contributes to the management of global health risks and emergency preparedness, aligning with the goal of ensuring healthy lives.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… caused by disasters, including water-related disasters…

   The article is entirely focused on mitigating the impact of a tsunami, a water-related disaster. The guidance to “Evacuate the area by foot and get to higher ground” and “stay away until officials permit you to return” are direct actions aimed at reducing deaths and the number of people affected.

2. Target 11.b: …substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… resilience to disasters…

   The article highlights the implementation of disaster resilience plans. It mentions that the “California Department of Conservation released updated interactive hazard maps” and advises residents to “Get your local tsunami evacuation map” and “Practice your evacuation route,” demonstrating that cities are adopting and implementing such plans.

3. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

   The article serves as a tool to strengthen public resilience. The existence of the “National Tsunami Warning Center” and its ability to issue timely advisories, along with public education on how to prepare (e.g., “Put together or purchase an emergency ‘go bag'”), are examples of building adaptive capacity to natural disasters.

4. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.

   The article is a direct result of an early warning system in action. The “tsunami advisory was issued for the West Coast” by the “National Tsunami Warning Center” after a distant earthquake. This demonstrates the capacity for early warning and risk reduction to manage a potential health crisis (mass casualties).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 11.5 & 13.1: Adoption and implementation of national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.

  The article explicitly mentions the existence and function of a national strategy through the “National Tsunami Warning Center” issuing advisories. It also points to local strategies by referencing the “updated interactive hazard maps” released by the “California Department of Conservation” and the advice for residents to find their “local tsunami evacuation map.”

• Indicator for Target 11.b: Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies.

  The article implies that multiple local governments have these strategies in place. It provides specific arrival times for the tsunami in various cities including “Fort Bragg,” “Crescent City,” “San Francisco,” and “Los Angeles Harbor,” and mentions that boaters should contact their “local harbor master or local officials” for safety protocols, suggesting that these localities have specific plans.

• Indicator for Target 3.d: International Health Regulations (IHR) capacity and health emergency preparedness.

  The issuance of a “tsunami advisory” for the entire West Coast based on an event in Russia is a clear indicator of a functioning early warning system, which is a key component of IHR capacity and preparedness. The detailed guidance on what the public should do is an indicator of public health risk communication strategies being implemented.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators’ to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: latimes.com