Lao PDR advances Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) Initiative through national consultation

The national rollout of the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative in Lao PDR has been commenced with a multi-stakeholder consultation workshop held on September 21, 2023, in Vientiane.

Last year, during the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres launched the early warnings for all initiative, aiming to ensure that all countries establish inclusive, multi-stakeholder early warnings systems by the end of 2027. The initiative at the global level is spearheading by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), along with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

To roll out the early warnings for all initiative in Lao PDR, the government has assigned a national focal point from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The one-day workshop, organized by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Resident Coordinator Office, and other global pillar leads, aimed to initiate a nationally owned, multi-sector, and multi-stakeholder mechanism for framing an early warnings mechanism that is contextualized to the country. The objectives of the workshop included reviewing the existing early warnings scenario in the country, validating stakeholder mapping and gap analysis, discussing the establishment of a national coordination mechanism, and initiating the formulation of a country roadmap for early warnings.

The workshop brought together key stakeholders including line ministries, United Nations agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, donors, private sectors such as hydropower companies, Lao telecom, and media. A total of 112 people participated in the workshop, including 45% women. During the workshop, participants engaged in interactive sessions, presentations, and discussions led by national and international professionals.  

Mr. Chanthaneth BUALAPHA, the vice minister of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, emphasized the severity of disasters in the country and the importance of the early warnings for all initiative in Lao PDR. He stated:

"The success of the Early Warnings for All initiative depends on the effective implementation of the 2023–2027 roadmap. I believe that the pillar-led agencies, as well as all representatives from various organizations participating in the workshop, will play a significant role in ensuring the necessary resources for the implementation early waning for all roadmap in Lao PDR."

Ms. Pia Rebello Britto, the UN Resident Coordinator ad interim for Lao PDR, highlighted that the aim of the early warnings for all initiative is not to reinvent the wheel but rather to promote collaboration and synergies, harnessing the comparative advantage of stakeholders and building upon existing programs and initiatives in the country.

As part of the initiative, Lao PDR conducted a stakeholder mapping exercise to identify key actors working in areas relevant to the pillars of the early warnings system and understand their priorities and willingness to continue working on early warnings system. In the initial stage of the mapping exercise, 38 agencies participated, with 20 of them having ongoing projects that partially contribute to the pillars of the early warnings system, and 12 agencies expressing interest in future collaboration on early warnings.

Prior to the workshop, a preliminary gap analysis was conducted under each pillar of the early warnings for all initiative. The findings of the analysis were then validated during the workshop. Discussions were held on formulating the early warnings for all roadmap for 2023-2027, and input from multi-stakeholders was received, which will be incorporated into the national early warnings for all roadmap. Additionally, a structure for the national coordination mechanism on the early warnings for all initiative was discussed and proposed during the workshop.

The Early Warnings for All multi-stakeholder consultation workshop in Lao PDR marked an important milestone and laid the foundation for developing the national early warnings for all roadmap 2023-2027.