Early Warning in Disaster Risk Reduction – Needs and Potential

The Sendai Framework for DRR strongly promotes within Priority 4 - Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to Build Back Better” – the implementation of early warning systems to further strengthen disaster preparedness for response, to take action in anticipation of events, to integrate disaster risk reduction in response preparedness and ensure that capacities are in place for effectiveresponse and recovery at all levels. Disasters have demonstrated that preparedness through early warning can effectively protect people and substantially reduce economic losses. Early warning systems have to serve for a vast variety of small-scale and large-scale, frequent and in frequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters caused by natural or man-made hazards, as well as related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks. They should also aim to support the multi-hazardmanagement of disaster risk in development at all levels as well as within and across allsectors.In particular, forecasting and early warning systems have to be people-centered and tailored to the needs of users, including social and cultural requirements, in particular gender, and elderly, and disabled people.Forecasting and early warning have to rely on accurate and timely information from measurements, observations, numerical modelling, and expert judgement and should reach-out to the various stakeholders by adequate disaster risk and emergency communicatiomechanisms, social technologies and hazard-monitoring telecommunications systems. Early warning may not be seen as a technological system only, but needs substantial efforts in public awareness raising also, necessary for the people’s understanding on how to transform warning information into action to be taken to protect their own and others’ lives and assets. Early warning should therefore go hand in hand with regular disaster preparedness, response and recovery exercises, including evacuation drills, training and the establishment of area-based support systems, witha view to ensuring rapid and effective response to disasters and related displacement,including access to safe shelter, essential food and non-food relief supplies, as appropriateto local needs.

Keywords:

Sudden and slow-onset disasters , anticipation of events , numerical modelling