Early Warnings for All intiative (EW4All): July 2024 updates
July highlight: Liberia first West African Nation to launch EW4All Initiative
The EW4All initiative was launched in Liberia on July 22 - 23, making it the first country in West Africa to host a launch. This high-level event represents a significant stride in the country's efforts to ensure the safety and resilience of its population in the face of increasing disasters and emergencies. Among key Early Warning/Early Action stakeholders in attendance was Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency, Ansu V. S. Dulleh, who emphasized the importance of coordination and added, "It's equally important to recognize that disasters and climate change affect people differently based on the level of exposure, and different vulnerability drivers, including gender, age, disability, etc. Therefore, an intersectional approach is required to ensure that early warning services are inclusive, responsive, and equitable."
Mark your calendar
22nd Session of the WMO Regional Association V (South-West Pacific) Tropical Cyclone Committee (RA V TCC-22), with a special session on EW4All & the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme
30 July - 2 August, Brisbane, Australia
Workshop & Study Tour on CAP & CB
1 - 2 August, New Delhi
Mozambique Consultation to finalize the National Roadmap
12 August, Maputo
Mozambique National Launch of the EW4All Roadmap
21 - 22 August, Maputo
Solomon Islands National Workshop to launch the EW4All Initiative (Anticipatory Action Consultation 23 August)
21 - 23 August, Honiara
South Africa National Workshop to launch the EW4All Initiative
26 - 29 August, Pretoria
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) - World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Forum "Towards a Weather-Ready and Climate-Resilient ASEAN"
4 - 6 September, Singapore
Somalia National Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on the implementation of the National Emergency Telecommunications Plan (NETP)
23 - 27 September, Nairobi
Tajikistan National Platform for Risk Knowledge
1 - 2 October, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Ghana National Workshop to launch the EW4All Initiative
October (tbc), Accra
Regional Multistakeholder Forums
Regional Multistakeholder Forum for Asia & the Pacific
15 - 17 October, Philippines (at the margins of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia & the Pacific)
Regional Multistakeholder Forum for Africa
21 October, Namibia (at the margins of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa)
Regional Multistakeholder Forum for Arab States
28 October, Kuwait (at the margins of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Arab States)
Regional Multistakeholder Forum for Europe & Central Asia
8 November, Montenegro (at the margins of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Europe & Central Asia)
Regional Multistakeholder Forum for Latin America & the Caribbean
5 December, Saint Kitts and Nevis
EW4ALL Country implementation
Africa
Launch of the Southwest Indian Ocean Early Warning System for Flood and Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS)
A workshop held in the Seychelles from July 2-5 launched the Southwest Indian Ocean Early Warning System for Flood and Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) to enhance resilience against extreme weather in island nations. Hosted by WMO, in collaboration with USAID/BHA, the US National Weather Service, the Hydrologic Research Center and the Seychelles Meteorological Authority, the event gathered representatives from Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles, along with experts from RSMC in La Réunion and Pretoria. The workshop aimed to initiate the FFGS implementation, set action priorities and start the FFGS data discovery process. Over three years, the project will train hydrometeorological forecasters to develop flash flood warnings using advanced forecasting models, improving the capacity of National Meteorology and Hydrology Services to issue effective alerts, and thus contributing to the Early Warnings for All Initiative in the Southwest Indian Ocean subregion.
Ghana commits to EW4All
Ghana, under the leadership of the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) and the Ministry of Communications, has committed to a national launch of EW4All in October 2024, building on ongoing work and initiatives in the country. This effort is supported by various national stakeholders who have emphasized the need for a robust Early Warning System (EWS) in Ghana. Key stakeholders include the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other partners.
WMO RAI Management Group Meeting
The WMO Regional Association I (RA I) Management Group is scheduled to meet in in Kigali, Rwanda 9 - 10 August 2024 to deliberate on regional priorities that should be addressed including strengthening of strategic partnerships with regional organizations, development agencies and other stakeholders. Among the priorities is to ensure that focused actions on the implementation of EW4All fall within the Implementation Plan of the region. The meeting will also discuss the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Multi-Stakeholder Forum planned for Namibia on the 21st of October 2024.
Mozambique, 18th of August 2024: The National Launch of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Roadmap and Investment Phase of the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) in Mozambique
The National Launch of the EW4All Roadmap and Investment Phase of SOFF in Mozambique will be marked by a high-level event planned for the week of August 18, 2024. The objective of this event is to convene all relevant ministers and sectoral representatives to jointly endorse and launch a comprehensive national plan aimed at enhancing Early Warning Systems (EWS), enabling critical action across the multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) value cycle. The event will highlight and leverage the investments from the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) to ensure robust and reliable data infrastructure, fostering a more resilient and well-prepared nation in the face of emerging climatic and environmental challenges. A call to action will be made for all stakeholders to come together to support and enable the implementation of this critical initiative. This event will be a follow-up to the EW4All national launch held in 2023, which was made possible following the 2022 Maputo Ministerial Meeting on Integrated Early Warning and Early Action and the related Maputo Declaration. SOFF investment will help drive forward the ambition set out in the EW4All roadmap. Mozambique is one of the first countries to receive SOFF financial support.
Arab States
Somalia Risk Knowledge Capacity Building Event (22 - 23 July, Nairobi, Kenya)
A crucial two-day technical workshop on "Advancing Risk Knowledge to Improve Somalia's Disaster Early Warning System" was held in Nairobi, hosted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office for Arab States (UNDRR - ROAS) in collaboration with the Somalia Disaster Management Authority (SoDMA). The workshop aimed to strengthen Somalia's disaster early warning system by promoting a coordinated approach among stakeholders. The event brought together key partners from the Federal Government of Somalia World Meteorological Organization, International Telecommunication Union, UNDP, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, The World Bank United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), FAO and CIMA Research foundation. The Commissioner of the Somali National Disaster Management Authority (SODMA) shared valuable insights on the importance of a coordinated approach in enhancing the effectiveness of Somalia's disaster early warning. The workshop focused on identifying solutions for risk knowledge, data synthesis and inclusive early warning systems that address the crucial role of women in Somalia's disaster risk reduction efforts.
Asia & Pacific
5th Asia-Pacific Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (APSTCDRR) (11-13 July 2024, Roorkee, India)
The objective of this regional conference was to promote the application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to enhance Early Warning Systems. This was also the first conference on Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction that has taken place in the Asia-Pacific region after the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework and the launch of the Early Warning for All initiative at the COP27 in November 2022. In the technical session on EW4All, experts from specialised institutions in different countries and inter-governmental organizations presented their wealth of knowledge and expertise. There was uniform agreement that successful EWS need to place "last mile" communities first while leveraging STI to strengthen EWS, integrating Local Indigenous Technical Knowledge (LITK) and exploring various low-tech and low-cost innovative solutions. It is also key for STI solutions to remain sustainable and acceptable by communities. The Conference called for strengthened scientific cooperation among academic, scientific and research institutions to develop innovative risk knowledge solutions to improve multi-hazard, and inclusive early warning systems across countries, especially for SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs.
Tonga National EW4All Inception Workshop and Anticipatory Action Event (17 - 19 July, Nuku'alofa, Tonga)
The national EW4ALL Inception Workshop for Tonga and Anticipatory Action Sensitization workshop was held in Nuku'alofa from 17 - 19 July. The workshop was attended by over 50 participants, comprising of government and non-government members of Tonga's national multi-hazard early warning systems technical working group and clusters system. The workshop resulted in a draft roadmap to support implementation of Tonga's multi hazard early warning systems policy, which was adopted earlier this year, as well as invited feedback on the TOR of the MHEWS Technical Working Group who will oversee the implementation of the roadmap. The two-day Anticipatory Action (AA) workshop also linked the AA concept to the early warning system for Tonga and provided participants with the opportunity to discuss potential pre-arranged actions and financing to early warning triggers in the context of Tonga. The advancement of AA for Tonga was also included in the terms of reference and workplan for the newly established Tonga MHEWS technical working group. ITU facilitated a stakeholder engagement-based assessment of the current state of warning dissemination and communication in Tonga. This assessment identified gaps, which were translated into a draft framework of activities aligned with the recently endorsed National MHEWS policy. The overall framework for all four pillars will next be presented to the cabinet. In Tonga, there have been clear advances across the early warning value chain including in Pillar 4 (preparedness and response capabilities). These have been tested in recent large-scale responses, including the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Response in 2022. The minimal loss of life that occurred after such a devastating disaster demonstrates how investments in Tonga's EWS have paid off. Despite the country's solid system, this event also demonstrated that more can be done to ensure that early warning messages are understood, and people know how to protect themselves from hazards. Tonga adopts the National Multi-Hazard Early Warning Policy 2024-2030, which addresses institutional and operational functionalities of a national MHEWS. The process was led by the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga, under the leadership of its Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) and supported by the regional EW4All Pillar leads and WRP partners with funding from the CREWS EW4All Accelerator Project. Tonga develops its national EW4All roadmap: drawing from the National Multi-Hazard Early Warning Policy 2024-2030 and other legal grounding for expansion of multi-hazard early warning and early action throughout the country (such as the Disaster Risk Management Act (2021), Meteorological Act (2017) and Emergency Fund Act (2008)) as well as the recent EWS assessments, the national consultation further resulted in a draft national Roadmap to support the implementation of the Policy as well as the wider EW4All initiative and WRP Programme. Maldives Gender and Disability Inclusive Early Warning Systems Event (23-24 July, Malé, Maldives)
Utilizing the Inclusive Early Warning Early Action Checklist and Implementation Guide supported by CREWS, the Maldives National Disaster Management Authority convened more than 30 organizations from government ministries, local NGOs, UN Agencies and the private sector to assess the country's current EWS and its ability to reach communities which are at greater risk in the island nation. The country has made strong progress on the inclusion of women and girls into the early warning/early action value chain. Emphasis was made on a collaborative approach with stakeholders including the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Communications Authority of Maldives, NDMA and telecom operators to harness technological solutions for Early Warning with a special focus on the implementation of CAP (ITU-T X.1303 standard), Cell Broadcast, leveraging AI for Disaster Connectivity mapping, last mile connectivity and National Digital network resilience evaluation. The participants also stressed the need to increase the participation of persons with disabilities at every stage of the system and to tailor warning messages in ways that are accessible and actionable for persons with disabilities. Lastly, participants stressed a strong need for engagement of migrant workers and youth in Early Warning Systems. This workshop was supported by CREWS and technical guidance was provided by UNDRR, WMO, ITU and Maldives Red Crescent.
National Emergency Telecommunication Cluster (ETC) Meeting for Fiji (20 July)
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific supported the organization of a National Emergency Telecommunication Cluster (ETC) meeting for Fiji on 20 July 2024. This meeting was convened by the Department of Communications after a gap of over two years. A draft of the National Emergency Telecommunication Plan was presented along with 23 action points to be considered by ETC. 23 participants from 14 organizations joined the meeting. Disaster connectivity maps (DCM) for Fiji developed by ITU during Cyclone Yasa were also presented as an area of further development for Early Warnings and Disaster Risk Reduction.
22nd Session of the WMO Regional Association V (South-West Pacific) Tropical Cyclone Committee (RA V TCC-22), with a special session on EW4All/WRP
WMO is organising the RA V TCC-22 session from 30 July to 1 August 2024, followed by a meeting of the Regional Sub-Programme Management Team of the Severe Weather Forecasting Programme in the South Pacific (RSMT SWFP-SP) on 2 August 2024, in Brisbane, Australia. The function of the Committee is centered around coordination and improvement of the tropical cyclone forecasting and warning services, and thereby, the reduction of casualties and damage resulting from tropical cyclones in the Region. It is part of the wider WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP). Building on last year's events, a follow-up session on EW4All/WRP is being organised on 1 August, together with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP, host of the WRP Programme Management Unit), focusing on the recent experiences of Pacific Island countries in implementing EW4All/WRP and key lessons learnt. The outcomes will inform the Seventh Session of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-7, 16-20 September 2024) in Vanuatu.
Visit of the UN Secretary-General to the Pacific, including attendance of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM)
At the end of August, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will pay a visit to the Pacific and EW4All related meetings are woven into his agenda. At the PIFLM from 26 to 30 August 2024 in Tonga, he will lead a dialogue centered around EW4All. He will also attend site visits to the Tonga Broadcasting Company to test the new EWS (primarily for tsunamis and volcanic eruptions) and to a sea level rise-affected community.
ASMC-WMO Regional Forum "Towards a Weather-Ready and Climate-Resilient ASEAN"
This event, organised by ASCM and hosted by the Meteorological Service Singapore's (MSS) Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS), will take place from 4 to 6 September 2024 in Singapore. The Forum aims to provide a platform to consolidate regional knowledge, share outcomes and explore how climate services can better serve adaptation needs, enhancing overall resilience to extreme weather and climate change-related hazards. It will also encourage participants to examine how climate services can better serve their adaptation needs at regional, national and local levels through more detailed climate information and impact assessments. A dedicated segment on EW4All will promote the understanding of EWSs as a key adaptive measure that saves lives and livelihoods and reduces loss and damage for an already warming climate. It will also showcase how the global EW4All initiative can benefit the Southeast Asia region by better safeguarding countries from loss and damage in a world with more extreme weather and climate events and playing a facilitating role in the development of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Other Regional Updates:
Bangladesh: Several EW4All partners activated anticipatory action measures in Bangladesh in July in response to riverine floods. This proactive response aims to mitigate the impact of the impending floods on vulnerable communities. The specific activities included, for example, delivery of unconditional cash grants. Cambodia has developed a first draft of its national EW4All Roadmap that is being shared with key stakeholders for their initial feedback and substantive input.
Americas & the Caribbean
Ecuador National Workshop to launch the EW4All Initiative (2 - 3 July)
The EW4All Launch and National Consultation Workshop for Ecuador was held in Quito, Ecuador, co-organized jointly by the National Secretariat for Risk Management (Secretaria Nacional de Gestión de Riesgos - SNGR) and the regional EW4All pillar leads. The event brought together 69 different organizations with over a hundred participants over the two days from 2 and 3 July. The activity included three different events: Signing of an agreement between Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and the Government of Ecuador through an investment project "Strengthening the National MHEWS"; the official launch of the EW4All initiative and the National Consultative Workshop. Similarly, this event allowed all four pillar leads to present a brief overview of their proposed offer, including strengthening of capacities, the development of prospective and quantitative risk assessments that serve as a basis for impact-based forecasting applications, the need for robust and complete historical disaster databases and the prioritization of hazards. The EW4All implementation plan for Ecuador is well advanced based on the country's gap analysis and contributes to the GCF multi-country EW4All proposal, currently in preparation in partnership with UNDP and the Pillar Leads.
Regional Webinar: La Niña Development in 2024: Current Conditions, Expected Impacts, and Preparatory Actions (2 July, Latin America and the Caribbean (virtual))
Organized within the LAC region's Issue-Based Coalition (IBC) on Climate Change and Resilience, the webinar aimed to raise awareness and encourage policymakers to take action on the La Niña event. Representatives from WMO, UNDRR, FAO, PAHO, UNEP and OCHA provided information and tools to decision-makers and technical teams across governments and the UN System. UNDRR participated in this webinar with a presentation surrounding the approaches that have been identified as useful for the assessment of systemic risk in a quantitative and prospective manner. The webinar had 1600 registered participants from across the continent and included the active participation of the WMO Regional Climate Centers in the LAC region.
EW4All Meeting among Resident Coordinators, RCOs, UNCTs and members of the Latin America and the Caribbean Issue-Based Coalition on Climate Change and Resilience (16 July, virtual)
Also organized by the LAC IBC on Climate Change and Resilience, this meeting provided a brief overview of the initiative to UN Resident Coordinators and Country Teams in the region, with all four pillar leads presenting on their respective areas of focus, a summary on the roll out process and an initial discussion surrounding next steps moving beyond the initial focus countries. Other topics included a general overview on financing by UNDRR, together with advances by UNDP in the GCF/UNDP multi country proposal that includes Antigua and Barbuda and Ecuador. The Regional Multi-Stakeholder Forum to be held on 05 December in the framework of the Caribbean Comprehensive Disaster Management Conference (CDM13) in St Kitts and Nevis was also noted. The UNRC of Barbados and OECS countries, Simon Springett, provided a spotlight on Hurricane Beryl that recently affected the Caribbean. Beryl, developed early in the Hurricane season and the strongest ever recorded for the month of June, demonstrated some of the already seen benefits of Early Warning Systems.
Further Updates on Hurricane Beryl (28 June - 10 July 2024)
Hurricane Beryl intensified at an explosive rate, becoming the earliest Category 5 storm on record. It left a trail of devastation marked by violent winds, torrential rain and a destructive storm surge, leading to massive coastal flooding. The hurricane particularly impacted Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. However, Beryl also demonstrated the efficiency of the region's Early Warning System. There was an effective flow of information from observing and forecasting systems, guidance from the WMO specialized regional center for tropical cyclone forecasting in Miami, operational collaboration within the regional meteorological services network in real-time, timely national warnings and preparedness and response at the local level. The best indicator of this efficiency is the relatively low number of casualties despite the hurricane's intensity and trajectory. The death toll stands at 33: six in Venezuela, one in Grenada, two in Carriacou, six in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, four in Jamaica, and within the United States, at least eleven in the Greater Houston area, one in Louisiana, and two in Vermont (T&T Weather Service). To further strengthen the system and based on lessons learned from this episode, several areas for improvement have been identified: Improve tropical cyclone intensity forecasting: This involves enhancing the ocean observation network to support forecasting models. Better understanding of people's behavior, culture, and reactions to improve communication and awareness (e.g. fisheries were severely damaged by Beryl, which could have been mitigated by early action). Involvement of political/governmental levels: When ministers or similar authorities took the lead, people responded much better, and the role of the meteorological service was more appreciated.
Guyana Prepares for EW4All Launch
The Director General of the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) in Guyana has been nominated as the National Focal Point for EW4All. This has enabled the planning for the EW4All national launch for the country. This will build on the 2021 analysis supported by CDEMA, which yielded an initial MHEWS roadmap, as well as the recently produced Country Hydromet Diagnostic report from April 2024. The national launch is planned for October or early November. EW4All in the region will be supported by the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative through the approved $7 million Caribbean 2.0 project, a three-year effort to enhance Early Warning Systems in the Caribbean. Led by the WMO and UNDRR, regional implementation will involve the Caribbean Meteorological Organization, CDEMA and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, with significant partnerships from the IFRC, ITU, and CARICHAM.
Europe & Central Asia
Tajikistan National Platform Meeting to endorse the National Early Warning Roadmap
On 16 July 2024, the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) of Tajikistan endorsed a roadmap for scaling up the country's early warning systems and recommended its implementation. The joint meeting of the NPDRR and REACT was co-chaired by Mr. Rustom Nazarzoda, Chairman of the Committee of Emergency Situations (CoES), and Ms. Parvathy Ramaswami, UN Resident Coordinator. Participants discussed the implementation of actions for disaster risk reduction and affirmed their commitment to saving lives and building sustainable resilience through prevention, adaptation, and response actions.
Global interpillar technical coordination & activities
Coordinated Anticipatory Action Frameworks: Call for Partner Engagement and Support
Beyond the 13 active CERF-funded coordinated Anticipatory Action Frameworks across 12 countries (Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chad, DR Congo, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Fiji, Nepal, Niger and the Philippines), three more countries are in the pipeline: Ethiopia (for droughts and floods), Niger (for floods) and Haiti (for storms). Partners are encouraged to engage and support. Additionally, there are several other countries under consideration in eastern and southern Africa, as well as Central Asia.
HDX Signals: New global tool for monitoring critical changes in datasets
The UN OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data released a new product that monitors key humanitarian datasets and sends automated emails when significant, negative changes are detected. The Centre originally developed HDX Signals in collaboration with the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to help them monitor global trends and situations of concern. After a year of testing and improvement, Signals is available publicly. Current coverage includes for example, agricultural hotspots and food insecurity for over 200 locations. Learn more and sign up.