What is EW4All initiative?
The EW4All initiative calls for targeted investments of USD 3.1 billion between 2023 and 2027 to strengthen disaster risk knowledge, observations and forecasting, preparedness and response, and communication of early warnings.
The Initiative calls for the whole world to be covered by an early warning system by the end of 2027.
EW4All is co-led by WMO and UNDRR and supported by ITU and IFRC as pillar leads, with FAO, OCHA, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, REAP, and WFP as implementing partners.
When was Early Warnings For All Initiative (EW4All) launched?
The Early Warnings For All Initiative (EW4All) was formally launched by the UN Secretary-General in November 2022 at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh.
What are the EW4All’s four Multi-Hazard Early Warning System pillars?
1 . Disaster risk knowledge and management (USD 374 million)
It is led by UNDRR with support from WMO.
2 . Detection, observations, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of hazards (USD 1.18 billion)
It is led by WMO with support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
3 . Dissemination and communication (USD 550 million)
It is led by ITU with support from IFRC, UNDP, and WMO.
4 . Preparedness and response (USD 1 billion)
It is led by IFRC with support from the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and World Food Programme (WFP).
Why Early Warnings For All Initiative (EW4All) was launched?
Countries with effective early warning systems have disaster death rates that are eight times lower than countries without, suggesting most disaster deaths are preventable.
Early warning systems offer a relatively cheap and effective way of protecting people and assets from hazards, including storms, floods, heatwaves and tsunamis. The Global Commission on Adaptation has found that spending just USD 800 million on them in developing countries would avoid losses of USD 3 billion to USD 16 billion per year.
