Building Safer Coasts: AMMACHI Labs Marks Tsunami Anniversary with Community Training

On the 21st anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Ocean Farming team from AMMACHI Labs conducted a series of awareness and disaster-preparedness programmes across the coastal villages of Vadakadu, Thondi, and Sozhiyakudi in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu. Situated along the Palk Bay—one of the regions most devastated by the 2004 disaster—these communities continue to prioritize resilience and preparedness.

The interactive sessions drew participation from nearly 50 community members, fostering a two-way exchange of knowledge that blended traditional local wisdom with modern disaster-preparedness practices. The team focused on equipping villagers with practical, life-saving information related to coastal emergencies.

Highlights of the sessions included:

• Recognizing local warning signs and early indicators of a tsunami
• Safe and effective response strategies during emergencies
• Essential guidelines on what to carry—and avoid—during evacuation
• Approaches to support and educate children in the aftermath of disasters

These initiatives were organised as part of Tsunami Remembrance Day, inspired by the long-term relief, rehabilitation, and resilience-building efforts led by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) after the 2004 tsunami. Amma’s compassionate interventions laid a strong foundation for sustained community preparedness and coastal mitigation measures across vulnerable regions.

As we honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the disaster, we also reinforce our collective commitment to education, preparedness, and building resilient coastal communities—transforming remembrance into readiness.

AMMACHI Labs’ Ocean Farming initiatives in Tamil Nadu are implemented by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, in collaboration with ESRI India, UNDP, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), GEF-SGP India, Transworld Group, and TERI