Early Warnings for All intiative (EW4All): August 2023 updates

August Highlight: Pillar 1-convened workshop on development of Handbook on Risk Knowledge for Early Warning Systems

The EW4All Pillar 1-convened workshop took place on August 9, 2023, in a hybrid format that gathered more than 80 participants, including implementing partners of the EW4All initiative, civil society, academia, and the donor community. The brainstorming was organised to identify the essential risk knowledge requirements across the early warning value chain. According to Target G data, risk knowledge continues to be the least developed and resourced pillar. The full-day meeting was the first of a series of consultations towards the development of a technical handbook to guide the enhanced use of risk knowledge to improve early warning outcomes, including better targeting to reach the last mile. UNDRR is leading this work with the CIMA Foundation and further consultations will include country level workshops in at least two regions. The Handbook will be launched at COP28.

Mark your calendar

Tajikistan National Workshop

29 - 30 August, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Launching of EW4All and Inception Workshop of the Water at the Heart of Climate Action Programme in Ethiopia

30 August - 01 September, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Launching of EW4All in Madagascar

14 - 15 September, Antananarivo, Madagascar

EW4ALL country implementation

Africa

• Africa EW4All Roadmap: second review workshop held on 14-15 August in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to finalise roadmap.
• South Sudan planning underway to hold back-to-back EW4All national workshop and W@H programme Kick-off workshop - tentatively scheduled for 11-12 October 2023.

Arab States

Somalia national workshop set to take place in October 2023 Development of CREWS-funded early warning plan for Djibouti

Asia & Pacific

• National consultation on the status of EWS in Maldives coordinated by the Government of Maldives and the RCO and organized with logistics and financial support from UNDRR. WMO, UNDRR, ITU and IFRC contributed technically to the National Workshop, held on 4 July 2023. Next steps include the elaboration of a national EWS roadmap.
• Nepal and Lao PDR are using the EW4All interpillar toolkit to start a stakeholder mapping and gap analysis in preparation for national consultations in September 2023, in coordination with RCO, WMO, UNDRR, ITU and IFRC.
• UNDRR SRSG Mami Mizutori's visit in Bangladesh on July 3rd advanced the objectives of the EW4All Initiative.
• EW4All was presented and discussed at the meeting between NMHS and NDMO Directors held in Nadi, Fiji on 10-11 August and further at the Pacific Met Council sixth session and third Pacific ministerial meeting, also held in Nadi, Fiji, from 14 to 18 August 2023.
• National workshop for Fiji is currently envisaged to take place in October 2023.
• UNDRR, WMO, IFRC, and regional partners are actively engaged in the Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology and the Sixth Meeting of the Pacific Meteorological Council (10 - 18 August 2023), convening representatives from 20 Pacific Island Countries and Territories, including National Meteorological and Hydrological Agencies, NDMAs, and ministerial-level participation. Notably, the PMC sessions have focused on EW4ALL, encompassing disability-inclusive and gender-responsive early warning and early action, with a growing consensus around the regionally endorsed Weather Ready Pacific serving as the key framework for EW4ALL implementation in the Pacific region.
• The report on Gender Responsive and Disability Inclusive Early Warning and Early Action in the Pacific has been launched. The report explores the barriers, challenges and opportunities to strengthening gender-responsive and disability-inclusive early warning early action in the Pacific, focusing on existing policies and practices. An accompanying checklist on gender and disability inclusive EWS will soon be rolled out in the region.

Europe & Central Asia

• UNDRR and WMO will co-finance the two-day Tajikistan national workshop taking place on 29-30 August in Dushanbe. The event will allow for a cross pillar gap analysis using the Minimum Core Capability Tool and other material from the EW4All interpillar technical coordination group, which has been translated into Russian.
• UNDP is working with UNDRR in conducting a light mapping of EWS in Central Asia, using the EW4All Minimum Core Capability Tool.
• ITU is supporting Moldova and Georgia on implementation of cell broadcast.

Latin America & the Caribbean

• National Workshop in Antigua & Barbuda tentatively scheduled for 28-29 September 2023.
• National Workshop in Barbados tentatively scheduled for 11-12 October 2023.
• National Workshop in Haiti tentatively scheduled for 29-30 November 2023.

Global interpillar technical coordination & activities

• The Global Interpillar Technical Coordination Group have agreed to establish a sub-working group on Artificial Intelligence and Early Warning. An initial concept note is under development. A meeting with all interested parties is currently in the process of being scheduled, with a tentative date will be set for mid-September.
• The next consultative workshop in monitoring and evaluation will be held 17 August. A draft outline of the Global Status of Early Warning Systems, 2023 Report has been shared as well as a Concept Note for the EW4All Dashboard. A document elaborating the EW4All Theory of Chang will also be shared.
• Three webinars on EW4All planned for September (TBC); the webinars will demonstrate and discuss what makes effective early warning along the four pillars using the minimum core capability checklist as well highlighting the importance of inter-pillar linkages, including coordination, financing, and communications.
• EW4All COP 28 strategy is currently in development with a focus on country implementation. The strategy features a high-level policy event and a series of technical side events featuring different elements of early warning. A joint communication strategy, with key messages, will also be developed.
• EW4All will feature in a dedicated session at the UCL WRC's Creating Effective Warnings for All conference (11-13 September, London, UK).
• The UNDRR/WMO Centre of Excellence is planning a one-day consultation on September 14, 2023 to inform the development of a Handbook on Early Warning and Action in Fragile Contexts. The Handbook will be launched at COP28.

In case you missed it

EW4All sessions held during Anticipatory Action Regional Dialogue Platforms for Asia-Pacific in Kathmandu in June and for Africa in Johannesburg in July. Upcoming Global & Regional Dialogue Platforms on Anticipatory Action provide a key opportunity to engage the anticipatory action community in discussions on EW4All implementation. The 11th Global Dialogue Platform is taking place on 10-12 October in Berlin and through virtual participation. Water at the Heart of Climate Action (W@H) grant agreement of $55 million has been signed and planning is now beginning in Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan. Sudan is currently on hold. Partners are IFRC, Netherlands Red Cross and Red Cross Climate Centre; WMO, UNDRR and SOFF. GSMA is engaging with mobile operators in a number of the first 30 countries of the initiative, carrying out research on inclusive risk communications and cell broadcast for early warnings, and highlighting the initiative at GSMA global events EW4All is also a focus of the ITU-led Green Digital Action track, rallying partners across the digital tech industry in the lead up to COP28 to leverage digital connectivity and technologies in support of EW4All and fast track digital-technology-driven climate action.