United Nations 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 (EW4A) Initiative, which stipulates that every person in the world should be protected by an early warning system by 2027.
The International
Telecommunication
Union (ITU)
is leading the “Warning Dissemination and Communication" pillar of the EW4A 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
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 2023, 95 per cent of the world's population has access to mobile broadband networks and 78 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.
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.
The EW4All initiative has started to roll out in 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.
Asia and Pacific:
Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Lao (People’s Democratic Republic), Cambodia, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga
Africa:
Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Comoros, Ethiopia, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, South Sudan, Uganda
Latin America and Caribbean:
Guyana, Haiti, Barbados, Antigua Barbuda, Guatemala, Ecuador
Central Asia:
Tajikistan
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.
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.
