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Early Warnings for All Initiative

When disaster strikes, just a little bit of extra time can prepare people to act or evacuate. This is how alerts save lives and will continue to do so amid the onset of climate change and a rising incidence of extreme weather events and natural hazards. Early warning systems are a proven and effective climate adaptation measure that are estimated to provide a tenfold return on investment.

United Nations Secretary-General's Early Warnings for All Initiative

"Half of humanity is in the danger zone", observed United Nations Secretary General António Guterres at the 2022 UN Climate Conference, COP-27. “Vulnerable communities in climate hotspots are being blindsided by cascading climate disasters without any means of prior alert." He called for all stakeholders to work together in the UN's newly launched Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative, which stipulates that every person in the world should be protected by an early warning system (EWS).

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is leading the “Warning Dissemination and Communication" pillar of the EW4All initiative, with support from IFRC, REAP, UNDP and WMO, to look at last-mile connectivity and to ensure that warnings reach the people at risk in time to take action.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to disseminating warnings and we need to address the diversity of communities at risk. ITU therefore promotes a multi-channel approach that sends alerts over different communication channels: radio, television, social media, sirens, mobile phones, satellite, etc. ITU endorses an inclusive, people-centered approach that uses existing community-based infrastructures and locally-led feedback mechanisms to ensure messages are understandable and actionable.

Growth in mobile networks and services provides new opportunities for early warning

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ITU and of the Secretariat of ITU concerning the legal status of the country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The potential of cell broadcast early warning system

Today, digital growth presents new opportunities to reach billions of people faster and more effectively, whether before, during, or after disasters. According to ITU's Facts and Figures 2024, 95 per cent of the world's population has access to mobile broadband networks and 80 per cent of the population owns a mobile phone. This makes mobile networks an incredibly powerful communication channel to alert populations about an imminent hazard. The Action Plan for this initiative, launched during COP 27, calls for the promotion and implementation of geo-located mobile-based early warning services using cell broadcast and/or location-based SMS, a critical element for 'warning dissemination and communication'.

Cell-broadcast or location-based SMS (short message service) warnings can be targeted to reach only people located in an at-risk area. These are proven technologies already used in several countries, and their alerts are adaptable to specific requirements, such as a user's language.

A law adopted by the European Union in 2018 requires all EU countries to set up systems to send alerts via mobile networks by 2022. This regulatory approach has proven an effective way to accelerate the uptake of public warning systems across Europe. ITU encourages countries to consider a regulatory approach to make the use of mobile networks mandatory for public warnings.

Clear regulatory frameworks, combined with financial support via multilateral development organizations, can maximize the climate adaptation impact of mobile networks, at relatively low cost. ITU works closely with the GSMA to strengthen cooperation with Mobile Network Operators, and identify best practices for effective early warning systems.

The mobile and satellite industry pledge

During COP28, commitments from the mobile and satellite industries were featured.

GSMA and Mobile Network Operators, including VEON, KDDI, Globe, Safaricom, Telefonica, MTN, and Axiata Group, have launched the call to action to deploy cell broadcast and location-based SMS, leveraging digital connectivity to ensure everyone is protected. You can see here the mobile industry pledge.

Committed to EW4All, GSOA and its partners are dedicated to enhancing direct-to-handset services and overcoming challenges through cross-sector collaboration, including engaging with device manufacturers, standardization bodies, and other key stakeholders. You can see here the satellite industry pledge.

Our progress in 2025

The EW4All initiative has started to roll out in about 30 particularly at-risk countries identified, including Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. Additional countries are expected to be added as this vital work with partners gathers pace, scale, and resourcing.

As of 2025, ITU has provided support to 30 countries under the framework of EW4All (the list below only accounts for the support provided since January 2025):

7 countries supported with development and implementation of NETPs
7 national cell broadcast feasibility studies – currently only about 45 countries deploy cell broadcast. We are helping countries become cell broadcast-ready
1 regional cell broadcast feasibility study for the Pacific Islands
8 countries provided with Common Alerting Protocol training
10 national EWS roadmaps which integrate “warning dissemination and communication” component

EW4All national roll-out workshops have been launched in 22 countries, including Maldives, Tajikistan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nepal, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Barbados, Somalia, Uganda, Bangladesh, Mozambique, South Sudan, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Mauritius, Tunisia, Burundi, Fiji, Djibouti, Comoros, Guatemala, with upcoming workshops scheduled in other countries, see ITU Impact Stories.

EW4All Dashboard

The Early Warnings for All Dashboard tracks progress for informing decision-making and measuring success. It serves as a centralized data portal where data for the four Early Warnings for All Key Pillars, as well as those for disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies and cross-cutting enablers, can be monitored and visualized.

TEG-Mobile

ITU established a Technical Expert Group (TEG) for countries implementing and using mobile EWS (EW4All-TEG mobile). The online-based group will support ITU's lead of EW4All Pillar 3 by sharing experiences and building expertise in setting up and enhancing public EWS and last-mile communication, and improve resilience. Know more about EW4All-TEG mobile and its Terms of Reference.