This week we are looking at Early Warning Systems (EWS) for climate
related extreme events. Please read the cases from Latin American
cities, and engage with one another in discussion about the value of EWS
and the strengths of successful systems that might be replicated in
other cities.
This week we will be looking at Early Warning Systems (EWS) for climate related events.
Natural disasters and extreme events kill, dislocate and affect thousands of people and cause millions of dollars of damage each year. Extreme events caused by climate variability, that become human disasters as a result of ineffective climate change adaptation, need not have such sever human losses. The events in themselves would not be considered disasters if they occurred in uninhabited areas, thus the important question is getting people out of harm’s way in a timely manner. In many cases, coordinated action and investment only comes after a disaster; in 2010, Brazil spent 14 times more in disaster response and damage repair as a result of heavy rainfall, than on preventing such devastation.
EWSs provide a means to manage and reduce risk, by improving understanding and increasing a community’s ability to anticipate and then react to extreme events. According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR) an effective early warning system should be made up of four facets:
• Risk Knowledge: the collection of data to identify vulnerabilities in order to minimise the negative social, economic and environmental effects of unavoidable events
• Monitoring and Warning: rigorous scientific monitoring of the parameters with a potential to trigger disasters, together with the ability to predict changes in a timely manner
• Dissemination and Communication: effective communication networks with the ‘right’ amount of information for the receivers to understand the implications of the warning
• Response Capability: well developed action plans involving the full range of stakeholders, from the government to the community
Often it is the occurrence of a disaster, or multiple disasters, that motivate national, regional and municipal governments and institutions to invest in EWSs. Sudden-onset extreme events cannot be avoided, but preparedness would reduce the human fatalities of such an event.
This week we would like to invite you to view the cases about the Latin American cities of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Santa Cruz (Bolivia), La Paz (Boliva), Medellín (Colombia), and San Juan (Colombia). These cases show how Latin American cities are addressing the four facets of effective EWSs. After viewing the cases we would like to encourage you to take part in an interactive discussion with one another about:
1) Whether your city has Early Warning Systems in place to reduce climate related risks – be they formal or informal;
2) How the Early Warning System in your cities works in practice – according the four facets listed above;
3) Whether you think that any of the Latin American initiatives might be successfully adapted for implementation in your cities – specifying which in particular, along with the enabling factors or barriers .
This week we will be looking at Early Warning Systems (EWS) for climate related events.
Natural disasters and extreme events kill, dislocate and affect thousands of people and cause millions of dollars of damage each year. Extreme events caused by climate variability, that become human disasters as a result of ineffective climate change adaptation, need not have such sever human losses. The events in themselves would not be considered disasters if they occurred in uninhabited areas, thus the important question is getting people out of harm’s way in a timely manner. In many cases, coordinated action and investment only comes after a disaster; in 2010, Brazil spent 14 times more in disaster response and damage repair as a result of heavy rainfall, than on preventing such devastation.
EWSs provide a means to manage and reduce risk, by improving understanding and increasing a community’s ability to anticipate and then react to extreme events. According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR) an effective early warning system should be made up of four facets:
• Risk Knowledge: the collection of data to identify vulnerabilities in order to minimise the negative social, economic and environmental effects of unavoidable events
• Monitoring and Warning: rigorous scientific monitoring of the parameters with a potential to trigger disasters, together with the ability to predict changes in a timely manner
• Dissemination and Communication: effective communication networks with the ‘right’ amount of information for the receivers to understand the implications of the warning
• Response Capability: well developed action plans involving the full range of stakeholders, from the government to the community
Often it is the occurrence of a disaster, or multiple disasters, that motivate national, regional and municipal governments and institutions to invest in EWSs. Sudden-onset extreme events cannot be avoided, but preparedness would reduce the human fatalities of such an event.
This week we would like to invite you to view the cases about the Latin American cities of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Santa Cruz (Bolivia), La Paz (Boliva), Medellín (Colombia), and San Juan (Colombia). These cases show how Latin American cities are addressing the four facets of effective EWSs. After viewing the cases we would like to encourage you to take part in an interactive discussion with one another about:
1) Whether your city has Early Warning Systems in place to reduce climate related risks – be they formal or informal;
2) How the Early Warning System in your cities works in practice – according the four facets listed above;
3) Whether you think that any of the Latin American initiatives might be successfully adapted for implementation in your cities – specifying which in particular, along with the enabling factors or barriers .
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