The word ‘tsunami‘ makes the residents of coastal cities worried all over the world. The mighty waves of the Indian Ocean wreaking havoc in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, and other countries in 2004 and in Japan in 2011 are still fresh in the minds of the people all over the world, who saw the deadly scenes captured by the modern information communication technologies. More than 230,000 people died in the natural disasters. Awakening to tsunami reality, Pakistan is now going to launch a preparedness programme for tsunami and earthquake threats with the support of the United Nations Development Programme and the Japanese government in Sindh and Balochistan coastal areas. Under the programme, called Strengthening Tsunami and Earthquake Preparedness in the Coastal Areas of Pakistan’, the personnel of the National Disaster Management Authority, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities of Sindh and Balochistan, the Pakistan Meteorological Department, NED University of Engineering and Technology and Pakistan Red Crescent Society will be trained about threats and preparedness mechanisms. Pakistan needs to boost standard operating procedures for tsunami early warning as Pakistan’s coastal areas are home to several large and small cities. It is said that areas along the North-West Indian Ocean face the risk of tsunamis from the Makran subduction zone. Still these areas have yet to be studied. Moreover, the communities living the coastal areas should be involved in preparedness drills to mitigate the effects of any disasters. In the tsunami preparedness scenario, Karachi stands out being the largest city of Pakistan, which will face major risks in the wake of any earthquake and tsunami. Experts fear Karachi could be “wiped out” by a tsunami if early warning signs are not developed. They came to this conclusion after a drill simulating a major earthquake in the Indian Ocean in 2014. The assessment was based on a hypothetical 9.0-magnitutde quake in the Makran Trench, the point where Arabian and Eurasian plates meet. In the case of 9.0-magnitude earthquake, the sea would throw seven meter high waves which will reach Karachi in one hour. In modern history, tsunamis have not hit Pakistan. In 1945, however, when tsunami was not a household word, the disaster struck Karachi killing 4,500 people. Since 1945, Karachi has come a long way since then, and is now home to more than 20 million people. Also, its port generates 42 per cent of the national GDP. To cope with uncertain times, precautionary measures are always the best option. *