Context: Recently several regions of India including J&K have been marred by cascading effect of natural disasters. This makes it important to understand the relevance of Early Warning System.
Early warning systems (EWS) can improve resilience against climate-related hazards by providing information for early action. However, to be effective, EWS must incorporate aspects of resilient systems.
Components:
- Disaster risk knowledge based on the systematic collection of data and disaster risk assessments.
- Detection, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of the hazards and possible consequences.
- Dissemination and communication, by an official source, of authoritative, timely, accurate and actionable warnings and associated information on likelihood and impact.
- Preparedness at all levels to respond to the warnings received.
Multi Hazard Early Warning System
Multi-hazard early warning systems address several hazards and/or impacts of similar or different type in contexts where hazardous events may occur alone, simultaneously, cascadingly or cumulatively over time, and taking into account the potential interrelated effects. A multi-hazard early warning system with the ability to warn of one or more hazards increases the efficiency and consistency of warnings through coordinated and compatible mechanisms and capacities, involving multiple disciplines for updated and accurate hazards identification and monitoring for multiple hazards.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretariat, along with other international and national agencies, established the International Network for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (IN-MHEWS).
This multi-stakeholder partnership will facilitate the sharing of expertise and good practice on strengthening multi-hazard early warning systems as an integral component of national strategies for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and building resilience. In doing so, it will support the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, especially the achievement of its global target G on multi-hazard early warning systems, and the United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 – the successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters – recognizes the benefits of multi-hazard early warnings systems and enshrines them in one of its seven global targets:
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