Building Resilience through Community Engagement: Tsunami Preparedness and SDG Awareness for Refugee and Local Populations in Alappad

On World Tsunami Awareness Day, observed on November 5, 2023, the UNESCO Chair on Experiential Learning for Sustainable Innovation and Development, along with the Amrita School for Sustainable Futures and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), held a two-day awareness initiative in Alappad, Kerala—one of the communities heavily impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. This program was part of UNESCO-IOC’s Tsunami Readiness Program and focused on community preparedness and resilience.

Educational activities were held across three schools in Alappad—Cheriazheekal HSS, Azheekal HS, and Sraykadu LP School—engaging 365 students in activities such as drawing competitions, scavenger hunts, and evacuation mapping exercises. These hands-on experiences encouraged awareness and preparedness, allowing students to creatively express and reinforce their understanding of tsunami risks.

In parallel, community-level programs gathered local residents for in-depth sessions on tsunami safety, culminating in an evacuation mapping exercise to educate the public on safe routes in case of a disaster. These outreach activities enabled both the student community and displaced residents to engage in practical preparedness training, bolstering their capability to respond effectively to potential tsunami threats. This initiative underscored the importance of dedicated outreach and collaboration to enhance disaster resilience and SDG awareness in vulnerable communities.