Early Warning System for the entire world in the next five years
- November 8, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Early Warning System for the entire world in the next five years
Subject: Environment
Context-
- Taking forward the initiative of the India-backed Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) at last year’s climate meeting, the World Meteorological Organisation unveiled a five-year programme to set up early warning systems across the world to save lives and minimise destruction from a growing number of climate disasters.
What is an Early Warning System (EWS)-
- An EWS is an adaptive measure for climate change, using integrated communication systems to help communities prepare for hazardous climate-related events.
- A successful EWS saves lives and jobs, land and infrastructures and supports long-term sustainability.
- Early warning systems will assist public officials and administrators in their planning, saving money in the long run and protecting economies.
- The UN, working in diverse partnerships, has introduced a number of innovative early warning systems initiatives in vulnerable areas around the world.
- The five-year programme, launched by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, envisages an investment of $ 3.1 billion between now and 2027 to create the infrastructure and build capacities in early warning systems.
Need for Early warning system (EWS)-
- Nearly half the countries in the world, most of them least developed and small island states, do not have any early warning systems.
- Early warnings save lives and provide vast economic benefits.
- Just 24 hours notice of an impending hazardous event can cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent.
- The Global Commission on Adaptation had found that spending about $ 800 million on early warning systems could avoid losses of up to $ 3-16 billion every year.
Steps taken to establish EWS globally-
- UNDP’s Signature Programme, “Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development and adaptation to climate change” is a comprehensive programme operating across Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
- Systems in place at the sub-regional and regional levels ensure preparedness and rapid response to natural disasters, using a model that integrates the components of risk knowledge, monitoring and predicting, dissemination of information and response to warnings.
- In Southeast Asia, a four-year program implemented by UNDP with the Government and other partners entailed installing and re-activating existing Automatic Weather and Agrometeorological Stations and Automatic Hydrological Stations across the country. Farmers now can access climate bulletins for detailed and carry out substantial planning to avoid costly consequences, both in money and lives.
- Last year, CDRI, an international organization formed three years ago with India’s backing, had come up with a similar plan, focused mainly on the small island states.
- That programme, called IRIS, or Infrastructure for Resilient Island States, was not meant only for early warning systems, but most of the initial interest it had received from the small island states was regarding help in setting up these systems.
Infrastructure for Resilient Island States or IRIS-
- This initiative has been launched by India for developing the infrastructure of small island nations vulnerable to climate change.
- The new initiative is the result of cooperation between India, the U.K. and Australia and included the participation of leaders of small island nations such as Fiji, Jamaica and Mauritius.
- Implementation:
- The IRIS initiative is a part of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) that would focus on building capacity, having pilot projects, especially in small island developing states.
What is Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)?
- CDRI is a global partnership of national governments, United Nations agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and academic and research institutions.
- It aims to increase the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development.
- It was launched in 2019, at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York.
- It is the Government of India’s second major global initiative after the International Solar Alliance, and it demonstrates India’s leadership in climate change and disaster resilience issues.
Members:
- Since its inception, 31 countries, 6 international organisations and 2 private sector organisations have joined CDRI as members.
- 6 International Organisations: Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), European Union, European Investment Bank.
- 2 Private Sector Organisations: The Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies and Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment.
- CDRI has steadily increased its membership by attracting a diverse range of economically advanced, developing, and vulnerable countries to climate change and disasters.
- Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is working towards developing applications of climate forecast and early warning for reducing infrastructure losses and disruption in basic services.