Early warning and the human factor - people-centered warning systems and awareness are key

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The document discusses early warning systems and their importance in disaster risk reduction. It provides examples of warning systems in Tonga and Mozambique. The Tonga RANET system helps the country stay connected during severe weather through radio equipment. Mozambique's flood warning system has expanded with additional monitoring stations and will eventually cover the entire country. The work in Mozambique demonstrates that even poor countries can adapt to climate change through people-centered early warning approaches.

Education Technology

Early Warning and the Human Factor
People-centered warning systems and awareness are key
Christian H. Barthelt
Thomas R. Loster

Date

Early Warning and the Human Factor
People-centered warning systems and awareness are key

1. Munich Re Foundation – Basic Data

2. The Tonga RANET Warning System

3. Mozambique flood warning system

Munich Re Foundation
Basics

Going public 7 April 2005
Base capital € 50m
Annual project-budget € 1.5m
Projects 2012 12
Employees 6

Central goals

Turning knowledge into action
Serve people at risk
Improve living conditions

Munich Re Foundation Early Warning and the Human Factor: 28/08/2012 3
People-centered warning systems and awareness are key

Munich Re Foundation
Basics

Environmental
and
climate change
Water:
Resource Disaster
and prevention
risk factor
Our Topics

Population Urbanisation
development and
megacities
Poverty

Munich Re Foundation Early Warning and the Human Factor: 28/08/2012 4
People-centered warning systems and awareness are key

The Tonga RANET Warning System
Staying connected during severe weather

Munich Re Foundation Early Warning and the Human Factor: 28/08/2012 6
People-centered warning systems and awareness are key

Munich Re Foundation Kurztitel der Präsentation mit maximal zwei Zeilen Text in Arial Regular 12/14 28/08/2012 7

The Tonga RANET Warning System
Staying connected during severe weather

Top: Leala Lonae from the village of
Poutasi, Samoa, lost relatives to the
massive tidal wave. A total of 170
people died in Samoa and Tonga.

Bottom: Helpers clear up the devastation
left behind by the tsunami. Niuatoputapu,
in the north of Tonga, and the more distant
Ha’apai group were among the islands hit.

Munich Re Foundation Early Warning and the Human Factor: 28/08/2012 8
People-centered warning systems and awareness are key

Mozambique Flood Warning Project
Modules

Munich Re Foundation Munich Re Foundation
Kurztitel der Präsentation mit maximal zwei Zeilen Text in Arial Regular 12/14 28/08/201210 10

Munich Re Foundation Munich Re Foundation 11

Munich Re Foundation Kurztitel der Präsentation mit maximal zwei Zeilen Text in Arial Regular 12/14 28/08/2012 12

Mozambique
flood warning system

In 2011 additional disaster prevention
committees, monitoring, transmission
and receiver stations have been set up
along the rivers Chire and Zambesi.

Next steps:
relocate the analysis and forecasting
centre to the centre of the exposure
zone to facilitate the coordination.

The Chire system will be extended to the
upper reaches of the river, and thus to
hazard zones in Malawi.

In the long term, the system will be
expanded to encompass all of
Mozambique.

Munich Re Foundation 28/08/2012 13

Lessons learned

The work in Mozambique demonstrates that even the poorest of countries can adapt to
climate change.
Disaster Risk Management has to take into account the needs and ideas of the people
at risk.
The early warning systems have been accepted by the people of Mozambique,
because they were an integral part of the working process from the very beginning.
Ownership of the systems have subsequently been handed over to the authorities.
Seven local heads of district joined the early warning programme in 2011, a legislative
initiative is planned to raise flood warning to a higher political level.
Institutionalization is the key to long-term success.
Successful bottom-up approaches needed to complement top-down frameworks.

Munich Re Foundation Early Warning and the Human Factor: 28/08/2012 14
People-centered warning systems and awareness are key

Thank you

Visit our website at
www.munichre-foundation.org

Presentation to the 2018 Floodplain Management Australia National Conference held on the Gold Coast, Australia. Abstract: The lead guiding document for the development of the Total Flood Warning System (TFWS) in Australia is ‘Manual 21 – Flood Warning’ (Attorney-General’s Department, 2009). According to Manual 21, the TFWS consists of six components: Prediction; Interpretation; Message Construction; Communication; Response; and, Review. In a review of these TFWS components in relation to the findings of previous social research and government inquiries into flood warning in Australia, Molino et al. (2011) identified a further six components of a TFWS: Understanding the Flood Risk; Emergency Management Planning; Community Flood Education; Data Collection; Community Participation in the TFWS; and, Integration of the TFWS Components. The twelve components have since been tested in the assessment of existing warning systems and the development of TFWSs for several communities across Australia. This paper provides a summary of the findings from these projects with a particular emphasis on the successes and challenges involving the more community-related TFWS components such as Understanding the Flood Risk, Community Flood Education and Community Participation. For example, the TFWS assessments found that: • Up to 20% of people living in floodplains were unaware of their flood risk • Community flood education tended to rely on the provision of information • There was little community participation in flood warning systems. The findings demonstrated the need to engage with communities about all twelve TFWS components and this paper concludes by explaining how this could be best done using tailored techniques.

The Total Flood Warning System: a review of the concept

Neil Dufty

The Total Flood Warning System concept is promoted by the Australian Government and is widely used in the design of Australia’s early flood warning systems. The Total Flood Warning System concept is technically robust in comparison with international flood warning system frameworks. However, it is not as ‘total’ as it might be. This paper looks at six other components identified that make the system holistic and more effective.

Ews guideline in english

CSRU

This document provides guidance for National Societies on supporting early warning systems. It discusses key elements of early warning systems including different timescales for hazard warnings from hours to years. National Societies are encouraged to strengthen their capacity to support early warning through community engagement, partnerships, and capacity building activities from the community level to national level. Challenges and good practices are also shared to help National Societies enhance early warning systems.

Session 4: Establishment of Community-Based Flood Early Warning System (CBFEWS)

IFRCCOMMS

1) The document discusses community-based flood early warning systems (CBFEWS) in the Philippines, including how they are established and operated. 2) CBFEWS empower local communities to protect themselves from flooding by making use of indigenous practices and observations of rainfall and water levels. 3) Warning protocols are established based on rainfall and water level thresholds, with clear warning messages and actions for different thresholds. Communities are trained to monitor conditions and issue advisories.

Cbdrm

Pak Dix

The document discusses the traditional top-down approach to disaster response versus a community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) approach. The traditional approach treats communities as helpless victims, focuses on physical aid over organizational strengthening, and has outsiders dictate needs. The CBDRM approach emphasizes community participation, builds local capacities, involves communities in assessment and decision-making, and aims to reduce long-term vulnerabilities through preparedness.

Community-based early warning system

Strengthening Climate Resilience

The document describes a community-based early warning system project along the Agos River in Infanta and General Nakar, Philippines. The project installed water level monitoring stations, rain gauges, and two-way radios to monitor flooding and provide early warnings. It trained local disaster councils on emergency response. The system helped communities prepare for extreme weather, minimizing loss of lives and livelihoods. Key lessons included the importance of community participation and partnerships between local and scientific organizations.

Participatory approach to DRR

Pv Krishnan

This document summarizes a participatory disaster risk reduction project in Nepal supported by the European Commission. The project is implemented by seven international partners across 22 districts in Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of vulnerable communities to respond to disasters. Key initiatives include awareness campaigns reaching over 500,000 people, training 1,900 volunteers, forming disaster management committees, conducting vulnerability assessments, establishing early warning systems, and small-scale mitigation projects. Challenges include security issues restricting movement and a lack of resources. Moving forward, the project emphasizes institutionalizing disaster risk reduction and integrating it with development programs.

Early Warning Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction

tdapdm

The document discusses early warning systems for disaster risk reduction in India based on experiences from Orissa in 1999, Mumbai in 2005, and the 2004 Tsunami. It notes that in Orissa in 1999, floods and cyclones led to approximately 10,000 lives lost and the collapse of basic infrastructure, despite existing disaster management plans. It questions whether early warning systems were in place. Similar infrastructure collapses and loss of life occurred in Mumbai in 2005 and from the Tsunami, again questioning if adequate early warning was provided.

The document discusses community risk assessment and its key components. Community risk assessment provides a systematic process to identify, estimate, and rank local disaster risks. It involves four interrelated components: hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment, capacity assessment, and understanding people's perceptions of risk. Hazard assessment determines the likelihood of natural or human-made hazards. Vulnerability assessment identifies at-risk elements and why they are at risk. Capacity assessment identifies available resources for preparedness, mitigation and response.

Community Based Disaster Management (C.B.D.M.)

alexander wong

Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM)

Nazir Ahmed

This document discusses community-based disaster risk management through local community groups. It defines key concepts, outlines the purpose and categories of community groups, and describes the typical group cycle. It emphasizes the importance of community initiatives in disaster risk reduction and management. Successful community-based disaster management involves central roles for the community in assessing risks and developing locally appropriate solutions. Local community groups, social workers, and capacity building can strengthen community preparedness and response to disasters.

Community participation

collinschimuti

This document defines key concepts related to community participation. It begins by defining a community and community participation. The objectives of community participation are to develop self-reliance, critical awareness, and problem-solving skills. There are different types and levels of participation, from passive to active involvement. Factors like education, resources, and leadership can influence participation. The bottom-up approach with community involvement in all stages from planning to evaluation is most effective. Benefits include programs being locally relevant, communities gaining self-reliance, and better community-health worker relationships.

Part 3 Early Warning: The Five Pillars Of Disaster Resilience

Professor Eric K. Noji, M.D., MPH, DTMH(Lon), FRCP(UK)hon

This document discusses the importance of early warning systems for facilitating evacuation and site-specific preparedness during natural disasters. It provides examples of where early warning was critical, such as facilitating evacuation during hurricanes, floods, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Early warning involves real-time monitoring of hazards and messaging to at-risk communities when threats are present, in order to activate evacuation plans and accelerate preparedness to protect lives and property.

Early warning System Disaster Management

Vraj Pandya

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Early warning and the human factor - people-centered warning systems and awareness are key

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