U.N. Panel OKs Nov. 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day

A United Nations committee on Friday adopted a Japanese-led resolution to designate Nov. 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day. The resolution, cosponsored by some 140 countries, calls for raising awareness of the dangers of tsunami and stresses the importance of prompt information dissemination through early warning systems by designating the tsunami day. By year-end, the U.N. General Assembly is expected to adopt the resolution, which was passed on Friday by the General Assembly Second Committee in charge of economic and financial affairs. Moves to realize the world tsunami day materialized after the third U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in March in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, one of the three northeastern Japan prefectures hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. From 2016, activities to raise awareness of disaster reductions are expected to be launched around the world on and around that day.       Source: Japan...