The devastating tsunami that claimed hundreds of lives in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga on September 29 has tragically demonstrated the urgent need for Tsunami Disaster Plans that include building survival swimming, lifesaving, and water safety skills in communities across Asia and the Pacific.

With catastrophic events such as Tsunami, severe storm surges and tropical depressions becoming more likely, equipping populations with water safety skills and knowledge is more important than ever before.

Initial news reports from the worst affected regions suggested people mistakenly believed they had up to 15 minutes following the earthquake to flee to higher ground. However the tsunami struck within five minutes of the earthquake.

George Karagiannis, International Life Saving Federation Aquatic Disaster Chair, said that while tsunamis themselves are not preventable, more lives could be saved if populations were given access to cost-effective and sustainable survival swimming, lifesaving, and water safety programs which address the specific needs of their environment.

"The major focus of International Life Saving Federation and member organisations in aquatic disaster is prevention, including mitigation, education and preparedness," Karagiannis said.

"The ILS Position Statement on Aquatic Disaster supports calls for more effective tsunami, cyclone, typhoon and hurricane warning systems, evacuation and overall emergency planning, and makes a call for further efforts in building community resilience and adaptability through lifesaving skills and systems, which can save lives in everyday life, as well as during catastrophic events, such as a tsunami.

"By equipping populations with the skills to save their lives, such as making people aware of what changes in the water patterns mean, as well as basic survival swimming skills so if they are unable to outrun the oncoming wave they have a greater chance of surviving the immersion.

"In developed countries, parents and the school system teach their children how to spot an ocean rip, or how to tell that there is a strong current in a river. They learn how to float on their back, swim out of trouble, what items you could use in an emergency for buoyancy and to stay afloat.

"In less developed countries there are unlikely to be systems for survival swimming, lifesaving and water safety education, and parents and community members are unable to pass these skills to children.

"The International Life Saving Federation has asked the Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and The Alliance for Safe Children to co-host the World Conference on Drowning Prevention in 2011 to bring together experts in the field with government and non government organisations to put in place a strategy to reduce global drowning during disasters and in everyday life.

"We're not talking about developing Olympic quality swimmers or trained lifeguards. We simply want to share those basic survival skills that in the developed world we take for granted."

For more information about the World Conference on Drowning Prevention 2011 contact:
Justin Scarr, Chief Operating Officer
Royal Life Saving Society - Australia
+612 8217 3112

Article author: Belinda Lawton

Background
The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) and member organisations serve as the global authority on drowning and water related injury prevention in disaster and non-disaster situations. The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) and some member organisations, in conjunction with other international partners and local resources, may assist with aquatic disaster prevention, rescue, health management and debriefing. The major focus of ILS and member organisations in aquatic disaster is prevention and education.