- India is helping Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Mauritius to develop EWS to reduce loss of life and property due to extreme weather events.
- India's efforts are part of 'Early Warnings for All (EW4All)' initiative announced by UN in 2022.
- EWS: An integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting etc. and processes enabling individuals, governments to take timely action reducing disaster risks.
- About EW4All
- Aims to protect everyone from hazardous weather, water or climate events through EWS by end of 2027.
- Spearheaded by World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
- Calls for investments of USD 3.1 billion between 2023- 2027 to strengthen four pillars of EWS i.e.
- Disaster risk knowledge.
- Detection, observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting.
- Warning dissemination and communication.
- Preparedness and response capabilities.
- Need for EWS
- Protect lives and livelihoods.
- About 2 million deaths and economic losses of USD 4.3 trillion occurred during 1970 -2021.
- Improve preparedness and mitigate impact of natural hazards.
- Increasing disasters due to climate change necessitate EWS.
- World is projected to face 560 medium- to large-scale disasters each-year.
- Protect lives and livelihoods.
Challenges with EWS
Way Forward
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