Early Warnings for All

Early Warnings for All (EW4All) is the UN's global initiative aimed at scaling up early warning and early action. Working together with the UN and partners, our aim is to ensure that everyone on earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027. 

What is EW4All?

Early Warnings For All Logo

Early Warnings For All Logo

Early warning and early anticipatory action is one of the best-proven and cost-effective methods for reducing disaster deaths and losses. The Global Status Report (2022) published by the United Nations' Office for Disaster Risk Reduction reveals that countries with substantive-to-comprehensive early warnings coverage have disaster mortality eight times lower than countries with limited coverage.  Yet only half of the countries worldwide report having adequate multi-hazard early warning systems. And under one third of countries globally have reported having local plans to act on early warnings.

With human-induced climate change leading to more extreme weather conditions, the need for early warning systems is more crucial than ever. Acknowledging the importance of these systems, the UN Secretary-General launched the Early Warnings for All initiative in March 2022. 

Through enhanced coordination and collaboration, the initiative aims to build on and scale up existing efforts and capacities, promoting synergies among initiatives and partnerships across sectors to protect lives and livelihoods from natural hazards.

This initiative is co-led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), with support from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the IFRC and other partners. These organizations provide support to national authorities to strengthen their early warning systems and ensure preparedness to respond to warnings.

The four pillars of Early Warnings for All

In this community in Kenya, solar-powered radios are among of the best ways of providing early warning of disaster and other life-saving information.

In this community in Kenya, solar-powered radios are among of the best ways of providing early warning of disaster and other life-saving information.

Photo: IFRC

The EW4All initiative comprises four Pillars, in line with the four components of an end-to-end multi-hazard early warning system: 

  • disaster risk knowledge
  • detection, observations, monitoring, analysis and forecasting of hazards
  • warning dissemination and communication
  • preparedness to respond to warnings.

Strong integration between the pillars is critical. This initiative offers a unique opportunity to break down silos and deliver a cohesive, sustainable approach to end-to-end early warning and early action.

IFRC’s role in the initiative

IFRC is the global lead for Pillar 4, “Preparedness to respond to warnings”. In addition, IFRC is actively contributing to pillars 1 and 3, to ensure that community level risk assessments are captured in national risk information and that early warning services are people-centred and reach people through preferred and trusted communication channels. We also make certain that warning services are delivered in actionable formats and in a timely manner to support decision making. 

Pillar 4 – Preparedness to respond to warnings

An early warning protocol developed by the Kazakhstan Red Crescent allows them to distribute warm clothes, blankets, heaters and hot meals ahead of predicted cold waves and snow storms.

An early warning protocol developed by the Kazakhstan Red Crescent allows them to distribute warm clothes, blankets, heaters and hot meals ahead of predicted cold waves and snow storms.

Photo: Credit: Red Crescent of Kazakhstan & IFRC

Pillar 4 is where early warnings are translated into early/anticipatory action. 

For early warnings to result in life- and livelihood-saving actions by and for communities at risk, it is necessary for plans and procedures to be in place at the local, subnational and national levels. In this way, communities, local government actors and national agencies and partners know how to respond when warnings are received.

These plans and standard operating procedures need to include clear roles and responsibilities for early/anticipatory action, clearly defined thresholds for action and appropriate actions to take once warnings are issued. 

In addition, people need to be prepared and ready to react to warnings, and have the capacities and knowledge to do so.

Addressing the gaps

A volunteer with the Mozambique Red Cross takes part in an early warning drill as part of efforts to prepare local communities for potential crises.

A volunteer with the Mozambique Red Cross takes part in an early warning drill as part of efforts to prepare local communities for potential crises.

Photo: Damien Schumann/IFRC

Despite significant progress in recent years, significant gaps persist worldwide in terms of preparedness to respond to warnings, with under one third of countries globally reporting having local plans to act on early warnings. To address this, Pillar 4 aims to strengthen the preparedness of national and local disaster risk management systems to undertake early/anticipatory action. Activities under Pillar 4 will focus on:

  • Integrating anticipatory action into relevant disaster risk management plans, including contingency plans and SOPs, and/or developing new plans, where needed, linked where possible to pre-arranged finance and social protection systems
  • regular testing of these systems 
  • providing training and capacity strengthening to relevant stakeholders
  • strengthening institutional and operational capacities for preparedness and early/anticipatory action 
  • and ensuring communities at risk are well informed on what actions they can take to protect their lives, health, households and livelihoods once warnings are received.  

Key roles of the IFRC network in Early Warning and Early Anticipatory Action

Providing community level information on risks using IFRC’s enhanced Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment methodology.

As auxiliaries to their public authorities, Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies advocate for the integration of early warning and early/anticipatory action in disaster risk management laws and policies.

Contextualizing IFRC’s standard set of actionable Public Awareness and Public Education (PAPE) messages for each country. These messages can be included in official alerts that use the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and redistributed by online media such as Google. This work is done in partnership with governments, academia, civil society and community members.

Ensuring alerts reach ‘last mile’ communities – amplifying alerts with communities, notifying people who aren’t digitally connected, making sure alerts are trusted and understood.

Organizing, training and testing community response teams to understand risks and respond appropriately. Organizing simulations of existing preparedness and response plans.

Strengthening National Societies’ preparedness to respond through IFRC’s Preparedness for Effective Response (PER) approach.

Developing Early Action Protocols (EAP) to ensure National Societies' rapid response to alerts and community needs, with pre-approved funding provided by the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) Anticipatory Pillar.

Supporting States to integrate anticipatory action into their domestic frameworks and systems, including those related to disaster risk management, and where appropriate, into relevant climate or health frameworks.

Supporting the establishment of Community Early Warning Systems, ensuring close linkages with national early warning systems.

Providing feedback on how community members use alerts — for instance whether they are received, trusted, understood, and whether they led to action. This includes use of tools such as IFRC's Digital Engagement Hub.

Watch: Videos about Early Warnings for All

EW4All key resources

A member of a Village Disaster Protection Unit announces evacuation warnings during a disaster simulation exercise in Khammouane Province, Laos in 2015

A member of a Village Disaster Protection Unit announces evacuation warnings during a disaster simulation exercise in Khammouane Province, Laos in 2015

Photo: Bart Verweij/IFRC