Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, governments and civil society organizations are making large investments in early warning systems (EWS) with the aim to avoid death and destruction from hydro-meteorological events. Early warning systems have four com...

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Main Authors: Erin Coughlan de Perez, Kristoffer B. Berse, Lianne Angelico C. Depante, Evan Easton-Calabria, Elton Pierre R. Evidente, Theodore Ezike, Dorothy Heinrich, Christopher Jack, Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay, Selma Lendelvo, Joalane Marunye, Daniel G. Maxwell, Sonia Binte Murshed, Christopher Garimoi Orach, Mecthilde Pinto, Leah B. Poole, Komal Rathod, Shampa, Carolyn Van Sant
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-01-01
Series:Climate Risk Management
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096322000687
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author Erin Coughlan de Perez
Kristoffer B. Berse
Lianne Angelico C. Depante
Evan Easton-Calabria
Elton Pierre R. Evidente
Theodore Ezike
Dorothy Heinrich
Christopher Jack
Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay
Selma Lendelvo
Joalane Marunye
Daniel G. Maxwell
Sonia Binte Murshed
Christopher Garimoi Orach
Mecthilde Pinto
Leah B. Poole
Komal Rathod
Shampa
Carolyn Van Sant
author_facet Erin Coughlan de Perez
Kristoffer B. Berse
Lianne Angelico C. Depante
Evan Easton-Calabria
Elton Pierre R. Evidente
Theodore Ezike
Dorothy Heinrich
Christopher Jack
Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay
Selma Lendelvo
Joalane Marunye
Daniel G. Maxwell
Sonia Binte Murshed
Christopher Garimoi Orach
Mecthilde Pinto
Leah B. Poole
Komal Rathod
Shampa
Carolyn Van Sant
author_sort Erin Coughlan de Perez
collection DOAJ
description As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, governments and civil society organizations are making large investments in early warning systems (EWS) with the aim to avoid death and destruction from hydro-meteorological events. Early warning systems have four components: (1) risk knowledge, (2) monitoring and warning, (3) warning dissemination and communication, and (4) response capability. While there is room to improve all four of these components, we argue that the largest gaps in early warning systems fall in the latter two categories: warning dissemination/communication and response capability. We illustrate this by examining the four components of early warning systems for the deadliest and costliest meteorological disasters of this century, demonstrating that the lack of EWS protection is not a lack of forecasts or warnings, but rather a lack of adequate communication and lack of response capability. Improving the accuracy of weather forecasts is unlikely to offer major benefits without resolving these gaps in communication and response capability. To protect vulnerable groups around the world, we provide recommendations for investments that would close such gaps, such as improved communication channels, impact forecasts, early action policies and infrastructure. It is our hope that further investment to close these gaps can better deliver on the goal of reducing deaths and damages with EWS.
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spelling doaj.art-d7d9343df4ab44f5bb52fcdc957d6dee2022-12-22T04:40:23ZengElsevierClimate Risk Management2212-09632022-01-0138100461Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damageErin Coughlan de Perez0Kristoffer B. Berse1Lianne Angelico C. Depante2Evan Easton-Calabria3Elton Pierre R. Evidente4Theodore Ezike5Dorothy Heinrich6Christopher Jack7Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay8Selma Lendelvo9Joalane Marunye10Daniel G. Maxwell11Sonia Binte Murshed12Christopher Garimoi Orach13Mecthilde Pinto14Leah B. Poole15Komal Rathod16 Shampa17Carolyn Van Sant18Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, USA; Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, Philippines; University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance, PhilippinesUniversity of the Philippines Resilience Institute, PhilippinesTufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, USAUniversity of the Philippines Resilience Institute, PhilippinesTufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, USARed Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the NetherlandsRed Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the Netherlands; Climate Systems Analysis Group, University of Cape Town, South AfricaUniversity of the Philippines Resilience Institute, PhilippinesUniversity of Namibia, Multidisciplinary Research Services, NamibiaDepartment of Geography and Environmental Science, National University of Lesotho, LesothoTufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, USAInstitute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, BangladeshSchool of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences, Makerere University, UgandaUniversity of Namibia, Multidisciplinary Research Services, NamibiaTufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, USA; Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the NetherlandsTufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, USAInstitute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, BangladeshTufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, USAAs climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, governments and civil society organizations are making large investments in early warning systems (EWS) with the aim to avoid death and destruction from hydro-meteorological events. Early warning systems have four components: (1) risk knowledge, (2) monitoring and warning, (3) warning dissemination and communication, and (4) response capability. While there is room to improve all four of these components, we argue that the largest gaps in early warning systems fall in the latter two categories: warning dissemination/communication and response capability. We illustrate this by examining the four components of early warning systems for the deadliest and costliest meteorological disasters of this century, demonstrating that the lack of EWS protection is not a lack of forecasts or warnings, but rather a lack of adequate communication and lack of response capability. Improving the accuracy of weather forecasts is unlikely to offer major benefits without resolving these gaps in communication and response capability. To protect vulnerable groups around the world, we provide recommendations for investments that would close such gaps, such as improved communication channels, impact forecasts, early action policies and infrastructure. It is our hope that further investment to close these gaps can better deliver on the goal of reducing deaths and damages with EWS.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096322000687Early warning systemsDisastersCyclonesClimate change adaptationForecasts
spellingShingle Erin Coughlan de Perez
Kristoffer B. Berse
Lianne Angelico C. Depante
Evan Easton-Calabria
Elton Pierre R. Evidente
Theodore Ezike
Dorothy Heinrich
Christopher Jack
Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay
Selma Lendelvo
Joalane Marunye
Daniel G. Maxwell
Sonia Binte Murshed
Christopher Garimoi Orach
Mecthilde Pinto
Leah B. Poole
Komal Rathod
Shampa
Carolyn Van Sant
Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage
Climate Risk Management
Early warning systems
Disasters
Cyclones
Climate change adaptation
Forecasts
title Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage
title_full Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage
title_fullStr Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage
title_full_unstemmed Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage
title_short Learning from the past in moving to the future: Invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage
title_sort learning from the past in moving to the future invest in communication and response to weather early warnings to reduce death and damage
topic Early warning systems
Disasters
Cyclones
Climate change adaptation
Forecasts
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096322000687
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