Guatemala has launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, aiming to provide multi-hazard early warning coverage worldwide by 2027.
Consolidating efforts
This national launch in Guatemala will consolidate multi-agency efforts to address gaps in risk knowledge, hazard monitoring and forecasting, warning dissemination and communication, and rapid response. It will be supported by a robust monitoring and evaluation system in an effort to strengthen the early warning system components.
The initiative seeks to integrate the efforts of UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, the private sector, and academic and research entities to ensure effective implementation and participation of all people, especially vulnerable groups.
Governmental collaboration
To unify efforts, the government of Guatemala and the Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Guatemala have collaborated to launch this scheme.
César Bernardo Arévalo, President of the Republic of Guatemala, said, “We are taking steps to build resilience, moving away from the concept of sole emergency management. We believe in and are committed to a comprehensive vision that guides Guatemalans, both by birth and at heart, toward a genuine reduction of the risks that cause disasters because we are confident that a safer Guatemala is attainable.”
Nahuel Arenas García, chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)’s regional office for the Americas and the Caribbean, emphasized the correlation between early warning systems and effective and sustainable development. He said, “Countries cannot develop if they are in continuous post-disaster recovery. In a world of interconnected crises and increasing natural hazards, the EW4All initiative is a response toward taking concrete and effective measures to save lives and protect development efforts.”
In Guatemala, the entities designated to lead this process are the Executive Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (SE-CONRED), the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH), and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN).
“This initiative will allow local communities to actively participate in risk management processes, thus enhancing the overall effectiveness of disaster response strategies. Through improved communication, training and resource allocation, we are committed to building an informed, prepared and resilient society in the face of adversity,” said José Miguel Barreto, resident coordinator of the United Nations in Guatemala. “This launch is confirmation of the intrinsic understanding that peace derives from disaster risk management, as demonstrated by the Agenda 2030 and the Sendai Framework.”
Claudinne Ogaldes, CONRED’s executive secretary, highlighted, “It is important to strengthen the capacities of all the institutions of the CONRED system, with the objective of increasing prevention mechanisms for timely response, generating information on potential risks, which must be translated into timely decision making by communities and local authorities.”
The Early Warnings for All initiative
According to the Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems 2023 report, countries with limited to moderate early warning coverage have disaster mortality rates that are nearly six times higher than those of countries with substantial to comprehensive coverage. Yet despite these benefits, nearly half of the countries of the world lack effective multi-hazard early warning systems.
The EW4All initiative was launched in 2022 to address this gap, and at COP27 the UN Secretary-General introduced an Executive Action Plan for its implementation by 2027. He asked the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to co-lead the initiative, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
In related news, security solutions provider Utimaco recently joined the UN’s International Telecommunication Union Development Sector and will support the Early Warnings For All Initiative. Click here to read the full story.
