First official presentation of the Handbook on Risk Knowledge for Early Warning Systems during the UNDRR Internal Workshop: Pillar 1 and Interpillar Technical Coordination scheduled in Bangkok.. The document, written by UNDRR and CIMA Research Foundation, aims to be a practical tool for the implementation of warning systems in various countries around the world.
A manual that collects and analyzes risk knowledge for Early Warning Systems (EWS) and guides their application: the Handbook on Risk Knowledge for Early Warning Systems created by UNDRR and CIMA Research Foundation. The first draft is presented within the UNDRR Internal Workshop: Pillar 1 and Interpillar Technical Coordination. The event, taking place from April 30 to May 2 in Bangkok and gathering representatives from UNDRR’s macro-regions, serves as an opportunity to discuss Pillar 1 of the EW4All Initiative, launched in 2022, which aims to protect the entire global population from hydro-meteorological disasters through alert systems by 2027.
The initiative is structured around five pillars. The first, which is the focus of this workshop, is dedicated to disaster risk knowledge and management, serving as the essential foundation for the other pillars focused on monitoring, communication, and strengthening preparedness and response capabilities. It is under this first pillar that the Handbook on Risk Knowledge for Early Warning Systems is developed.
“In these days’ meeting, we are involved in several sessions, where we will first present the forecasting and monitoring platform myDEWETRA, developed by CIMA Research Foundation, as an example of a useful tool supporting the EW chain, and the work carried out within the AMHEWAS program to establish a situation room in Tanzania,” explain Roberto Rudari and Eva Trasforini, program director and researcher at CIMA Research Foundation, respectively. “On the third day of the workshop, during the afternoon session dedicated to strengthening partnerships for the implementation of Pillar 1, we will also present the first draft of the Handbook. The session also includes an exercise and discussion to identify and collect needs as expressed by participants, representing different countries.”
Structured around the seven fundamental processes on which risk information necessary for an effective EWS is based, the Handbook is founded on three cross-cutting principles: the need to improve standards for collecting risk data and information, the inclusion of local knowledge, and the role of technological innovation in advancing these systems. “The goal of the Handbook is to become a concrete tool for the implementation and application of tools for EWS,” conclude Rudari and Trasforini. “In this way, it can provide technical support and simultaneously serve as a practical guide for all partners of the EW4All Initiative. This is a first draft, which will be further elaborated in the coming months. Generally, the manual is not intended as a static tool but as a living document that can continuously integrate tools and best practices, as well as feedback on its implementation and usability in various countries worldwide.”