The value of a Pacific-wide tsunami database to risk reduction: putting theory into practice

The recent 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami showed yet again the devastating impact that these events can have on coastal communities. Even prior to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami there had been a growing awareness of the need to document a record of past tsunamis for risk reduction purposes. The bulk of such early databases were based on historical data. Only in recent years have palaeotsunami databases started to be collated. When one considers that the Pacific region accounts for 85% of known historical tsunamis worldwide, it is unsettling that we have only documented 11 palaeotsunamis throughout all Pacific Island countries (PICs). The way forward to enhance our understanding of palaeotsunamis, and to better understand the magnitude and frequency of events from local, regional and distant Pacific sources, is to gather data from each PIC. By collating data from each island it should be possible to map the spatial and temporal distribution of past events over the last several thousand years throughout the entire Pacific region. These data will provide the essential baseline information needed for achieving more effective disaster risk reduction for PICs.