Early Warnings for All: Bridging the Funding Gap for Global Climate Resilience

Early Warnings for All: Bridging the Funding Gap for Global Climate Resilience

Sub : IR

Sec: Int Org

Why in News

• The United Nations’ Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, aims to ensure global protection from hazardous weather, water, and climate-related disasters by 2027. However, funding for early warning systems remains unevenly distributed.

Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative:

• Launched by: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in 2022.
• Ensure protection from hazardous weather, water, and climate-related events through early warning systems (EWS) by 2027.
• Early warning systems are proven to be efficient and cost-effective in mitigating risks, saving lives, and ensuring sustainable development.
• Challenges: One-third of the global population, primarily in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), lacks access to adequate multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS).
• Four Pillars of the EW4All Initiative: The initiative is structured around four key pillars, each led by a specialized agency:
  • Disaster Risk Knowledge and Management (Led by UNDRR)
  • Detection, Observation, Monitoring, Analysis, and Forecasting (Led by WMO)
  • Warning Dissemination and Communication (Led by ITU)
  • Preparedness and Response Capabilities (Led by IFRC)
• Alignment with Global Frameworks:
  • Paris Agreement: Supports climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.
  • Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction: Focuses on Target G, ensuring availability and accessibility of multi-hazard early warning systems.
  • 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Contributes to poverty reduction, hunger alleviation, health improvement, water security, clean energy, climate action, and sustainable urban development.
  • The Global Observatory for Early Warning System Investments, launched in 2024, seeks to address this issue by tracking and optimizing funding allocation.

Global Observatory for Early Warning System Investments:

• Launched in 2024, co-designed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
• Aims to track and optimize investments in EWS by analysing data from multilateral development banks and funding institutions.
• Ensures better resource allocation to vulnerable regions, especially LDCs and SIDS.
• Uneven Distribution of EWS Funding: 54% of national early warning investments are concentrated in just five countries: China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
• Only 25% of reported financing is in the form of grants (non-repayable).
• 75% consists of loans and credits, creating financial challenges for low-income nations.
• Total funding institutions involved: Nine, including World Bank, Green Climate Fund, and Asian Development Bank.

Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS): Global Status Report (2024)

• Highest EWS coverage: Asia-Pacific region (67% of countries).
• Other regional coverage:
  • Europe & Central Asia: 60%
  • Arab States: 59%
  • Africa: 50%
  • Americas & Caribbean: 40%
• Significant improvements since 2015, but disparities persist in disaster-prone regions.