Methodology

- strengthen access to risk information by further engaging national governments and key stakeholders in the revision of national risk profiles and their mainstreaming of findings in national policies and strategies; enhancing coordination by empowering the national

DRR Platforms.

- develop a strategic, inclusive and coherent road map to build resilient societies by further improving availability, accessibility and the use of risk information at continental, regional, national and local scales involving AUC, the RECs and the countries, as well as key African actors in the field of DRR. This document outlines the summary findings of this last component: the road map for further improving the availability, accessibility and use of risk information, focusing on Early Warning Early Actions Systems. First, a brief explanation of the methodology used to develop the road map is given. Second, the results of the baseline assessments are summarised to highlight the strengths and the weaknesses of the national Early Warning and Early Action Systems. Finally, the heart of the report is the road map outlined for each national level (Angola, Ethiopia, UR Tanzania, and Zambia), as well as for the continental (AUC) and sub-continental (REC) level.

Early Warning Systems (EWS) play a prominent role in disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation, as recognized by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (Target G). An effective EWS not only encompasses the data and technological apparatus, but also the use of disaster risk information, relevant policies and legal frameworks, contingency planning and the involvement of populations in communication and education.

The definition of a road map to drive EWS towards a better alignment with international standards requires a preliminary evaluation of the existing systems. The evaluation method used by the CIMA Research Foundation was anchored in the four components of EWS defined by Sendai Framework and inspired by the World Meteorological Organization checklist for multi-hazard early warning1 and the “Guiding Principle for community early warning by the International Federation of Red Cross2. The method consists of a survey composed of 80 questions which encompassed the four components of people-centred EWS, namely: Disaster Risk Knowledge, Monitoring and Forecasting, Warning Dissemination and Communication and Preparedness and Response(20 questions per element).3 The survey was intended to be partly filled through a desk review using available documents and to be subsequently completed through a consultation with national representatives.

1 WMO, 2018. 2 IFRC, 2012. 3 See figure 1