Photo: Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-General, CARICOM
by Marco Lopez
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Feb. 6, 2023
On Monday, the Caribbean became the first region globally to launch the Early Warning for All Initiative (EW4ALL). Barbados hosted the regional launch, and prime ministers from across CARICOM are now being urged to mobilize support for the creation of early warning systems in those small island developing states (SIDS). At this time, only one-third of SIDS have a multi-hazard warning system, yet 2021 was named the region’s fourth costliest hurricane season on record, with 21 named storms – 7 of which were hurricanes, being recorded.
The need for early warning systems for vulnerable communities is pronounced, and as a result, at COP27 last November in Egypt, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the EW4ALL Initiative.
The goal is to secure early warning systems for all regions across the globe within the next 5 years – or by 2027. This will cost a total of $3.1 billion, according to the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Amina Mohammed. With this launch, the Caribbean, one of the most vulnerable regions, is appropriately leading the charge to create multi-hazard early warning systems to bolster the protection of life and property within the region.
Deputy Sec-Gen Mohammed, during a recorded statement at the launch on Monday, said, “Today, we carry a clear message: every person in the Caribbean and Small Island Developing States and the world must be protected by an effective, multi-hazard, early warning system. This is not a privilege, but a right that every person on Earth should enjoy.”
According to the UN, countries with limited early warning coverage face disaster mortality rates that are 8 times higher than countries with high coverage.
During a March 2022 World Meteorology Day statement, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres first announced the UN’s intention to spearhead the “new action” to ensure every person globally is protected by early warning systems. In the Caribbean, where the EW4ALL initiative has been launched first, only 30% of the 19 states and territories that participate in the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) have established road maps for multi-hazard early warning systems.
“Launching Early Warnings for All in the Caribbean is a critical first step toward coalescing the national, regional, and global cooperation needed to ensure everyone on Earth, especially the most vulnerable populations, are protected by multi-hazard early warning systems,” said Mami Mizutori, Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
During her remarks, CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett pointed out that “inclusive and streamlined approaches to implementing early warning products are required at all levels so that local communities, youth, and all other vulnerable groups may contribute valuable input to the development of systems that guard their own safety.”
She urged that the region look at capacity building in the area of education and vocational training to support early warning system frameworks with equipment maintenance, use of artificial intelligence (AI), data management, modeling, and broadening communication strategies.
“But above all, we must continue on a path where early warning is seen by all users as underpinned by principles of authority, credibility, and salience. Met services have constantly battled stubborn disregard for warning and fake information which undermine credible effort and engender public displeasure when a disaster does not occur as it was predicted; this is detrimental to the goal.” Dr. Barnett remarked.
This regional launch seeks to be the springboard to drive coordinated political action toward creating multi-hazard early warning systems across member-states in the Caribbean but also serves as the global takeoff towards a goal to cover every person on Earth with an early warning system by 2027.