Early Warning Systems (EWS) for different types of hazards

Improving EWS will enhance the capacity of all appropriate national agencies to deliver early warnings in a timely and effective manner. These projects are designed to help with risk reduction, improved safety, and increased awareness in disaster-prone and climate change-affected regions. The provision and enhancement of observation and monitoring technologies, as well as the capacity building and technical training in how to maintain weather stations and use recorded data, will support communities in becoming more resilient.

These projects seek to create institutions and infrastructure that address such disasters as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), wildfires, floods, and other climate-related hazard risks. Providing communities with the knowledge they need to respond to such risks will reduce material losses and threats to human livelihoods, and ultimately it will make the most vulnerable communities more resilient to climate shocks. Lessons learned from these initiatives will enable the scaling-up of early warning systems in regional and sub-regional disaster-prone areas.

Projects

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems to Support Climate-Resilient Development in Cambodia

Cambodia is facing mounting development challenges due to climate change. Longer dry seasons and shorter, more intense rainy seasons are resulting in increased frequency and severity of disasters, including floods and droughts.

Recovery from such events stretches limited public resources and forces shifts in development priorities. At the same time, climate change is also impacting agricultural production, affecting household level income and putting pressure on food security.

Supporting Climate Resilience and Transformational Change in the Agriculture Sector in Bhutan

Given its geographic location and mountainous terrain, Bhutan is particularly vulnerable to changes in climate.
 
With the goal enhancing the resilience of smallholder farms, in particular to shifting rainfall patterns and frequent extreme weather events, this project, led by Bhutan's Gross National Happiness Commission, focuses on three complementary outcomes:
 
• Promoting resilient agricultural practices in the face of changing climate patterns

Support for Integrated Water Resources Management to Ensure Water Access and Disaster Reduction for Somalia's Pastoralists

Roughly 75% of Somalia’s 14.7 million people live in rural areas, with approximately 60% practicing pastoralism and 15% practicing agriculture. Less than one third of the population has access to clean water.

Climate change is now bringing more frequent, higher intensity droughts and floods, reducing already scare water supplies. Lack of water poses a serious threat to the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of farming and pastoral communities and limits Somalia’s overall economic and social development. Women in rural areas are particularly vulnerable.

Community-Based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction in Nepal

The occurrence of glacier lake outburst flooding (GLOF) events in Nepal is potentially increasing due to various factors, including climate change.

With a focus on community-based risk reduction - and encompassing much-needed non-structural risk reduction measures such as early warning systems, awareness-raising, coordinated preparedness and land use planning - the objective of this project (2013-2017) was to reduce human and material losses from GLOF in Solukhumbu district and catastrophic flooding events in the Terai and Churia Range.  

Reducing Glacier Lake Outburst Flood Risks in Northern Pakistan

The Himalayan Karakorum Hindukush Mountain region contains the second largest glacier in the world and acts as the main source for river systems in the area. However, it is also prone to climate-related hazards such as floods, avalanches and landslides, which occur annually and can cause significant human and material losses. Rapid glacial melt due to climate change is causing increased water flow into glacier lakes, threatening the prospect of Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).

Adaptation Initiative for Climate Vulnerable Offshore Small Islands and Riverine Charland in Bangladesh

Because of its geographical location, major rivers and low-lying deltaic terrain, Bangladesh is highly exposed to the impacts of both slow and rapid-onset climate-driven disasters, including sea-level rise, saline intrusion, cyclones, storm surges, floods, extreme heat and droughts.

Strengthening the resilience of post-conflict recovery and development to climate change risks in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s 30-year long armed conflict has had significant impacts on the population including in the Northern Province and Eastern Province. Most aspects of life have suffered: People have been displaced, institutions disintegrated, and essential communal and public infrastructure damaged. People could no longer access markets as they once had and the transport of goods virtually came to a halt. Once-industrious communities that had produced lush harvests of rice, vegetables, fruits, and other crash crops became impoverished.

Scaling-up multi-hazard early warning system and the use of climate information in Georgia

The “Scaling-up multi-hazard early warning system and the use of climate information in Georgia” project will reduce exposure of Georgia’s communities, livelihoods and infrastructure to climate-induced natural hazards through a well-functioning nation-wide multi-hazard early warning system and risk-informed local action. The multi-hazard early warning system is an essential element of the country’s climate risk management framework and will serve 1.7 million Georgians currently at risk from climate-induced hazards.

Reducing risk and vulnerability to climate change in Colombia

With one of the highest rates of disaster occurrences in Latin America, Colombia experiences on average 2.97 disasters per year - floods and landslides accounted for a third of these between 1970-1999. The increasing intensity of these events has consequently pushed back advances in social development, leading to increased inequality and poverty.

Climate Change Resilient Productive Landscapes in Guatemala

Guatemala faces many hazards related to climate variability and climate change. Projections and scenarios indicate increases in temperature, decreases in total mean precipitation, increases in the frequency of extreme precipitation events, as well as in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events.

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems in Sierra Leone

The project, "Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development and Adaptation in Sierra Leone", responds to priorities and actions identified in the NAPA of Sierra Leone which articulate the need for securing, transferring and installing critical technologies, as well as developing the necessary systems for climate change-related information to permeate into decision-making processes.

Reducing vulnerability to coastal flooding through ecosystem-based adaptation in Cuba

Mangroves cover more than 5% of the total area of Cuba and play a vital protective role against effects of storm surges and sea level rise. This UNDP-supported project, "Reduction of vulnerability to coastal flooding through ecosystem-based adaptation in the south of Artemisa and Mayabeque provinces," seeks to reduce the vulnerability of communities in coastal areas of Artemisa and Mayabeque provinces from climate change related coastal erosion, flooding and saltwater intrusion.

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems in Gambia

The EWS project in Gambia responds directly to the priorities and actions identified in the NAPA of Gambia. The NAPA articulates the need for securing, transferring and installing critical technologies, as well as developing the necessary systems for climate change-related information to permeate into decision-making processes.

Climate-resilient development & enhanced adaptive capacity for disaster risk in Angola’s Cuvelai River Basin

The Cuvelai Basin has experienced regular flooding for centuries; however over the past three hydrological years (2008-2011) the Basin has had extensive floodings with various negative repercussions, including loss of life and property. According to the Angola Civil Protection Commission, at least 234 persons were killed, 204,000 displaced and 254,000 directly affected by flooding between January and April 2011 throughout Angola. The Cuvelai Basin region was especially impacted.

Strengthening Capacity to Address the Risks and Impacts of Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events in Thailand

Coastal communities in southern Thailand are amongst the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Over recent decades, tropical storms, cyclones, floods and coastal erosion have become more frequent and severe, with increasing loss of life and damage to livelihoods, property and infrastructure. Climate change is projected to aggravate existing problems through increased frequency and intensity of existing climate hazards and rising sea levels.

Reducing Risks and Vulnerability to Flooding and Drought in Nicaragua

Climate variability, especially during El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episodes, results in droughts that cause significant losses, particularly affecting the agricultural sector on which Nicaraguans' food security depends.  This project is designed to reduce drought and flooding risks generated by climate change and variability in the Estero Real River watershed.

Reducing Climate Change-induced Risks from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in Bhutan

This project, Reducing Climate Change-induced Risks and Vulnerabilities from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Punakha-Wangdi and Chamkhar Valleys, was identified by the National Adaptation Programme of Action of Bhutan as a national priority to address the adverse impacts of climate change. Its goal is to enhance adaptive capacity to climate change-induced disaster impacts in Bhutan.

Strengthening Comoros Resilience Against Climate Change and Variability Related Disaster

The "Strengthening Comoros Resilience Against Climate Change and Variability Related Disaster" project will work to strengthen institutional, policy and regulatory frameworks to integrate climate and disaster risks into planning, improve knowledge and understanding of key climate drivers and natural disasters, and strengthen community resilience to climate-induced disaster risks. UNDP is currently working with the Government of Comoros to develop the project proposal for a US$8.5 million grant from the Global Environment Facility Least Developed Countries Fund.

Flood Hazard and Climate Risk Management to Secure Lives and Assets in Mali

Flooding and other climate change risks have a severe impact on the people of Mali. Significant flooding events over the past 30 years have impacted over 3 million people, taking lives, destroying infrastructure, causing serious economic losses, and derailing efforts to build more resilient lives and livelihoods.

Reducing Disaster Risks from Wildfire Hazards Associated with Climate Change in South Africa

The goal of the project is to reduce the country's environmental, social and economic vulnerability to the increased incidence of wildfires in order to adapt to climate change effects. This is to be achieved through a biome-scale change in the fire management approach from reactive fire-fighting to proactive integrated fire management (IFM), including managing the ecosystem through controlled burns. 

Source: UNDP South Africa Project Information Questionnaire 

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in Guinea-Bissau

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working with the Government of Guinea-Bissau to ensure a new tranche of US$6 milion from the Global Environment Facility's Least Developed Countries Fund is used to improve climate services and early warning systems in this West African nation.

Climate Resilient Flood Management Practices in Georgia

This project aims to make highly vulnerable communities and regions resilient to climate related hazards such as floods and flash floods. It takes an integrated and comprehensive approach by addressing critical gaps in land use policy and regulatory frameworks, which are fundamental to climate resilient flood management.

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems in Tanzania

This project responds to priorities and actions identified in the NAPA of Tanzania which articulate the need for securing, transferring and installing critical technologies, as well as developing the necessary systems for climate change-related information to permeate into decision-making processes. The technologies required to achieve these aims will increase the capacity of the national early warning network to forewarn and rapidly respond to extreme climate events.

Integration of Climate Change Risks and Resilience into Forestry Management in Samoa (ICCRIFS)

Facing the need to increase the resilience of Samoa's forest areas on which local communities significantly rely upon for their livelihoods, the project aims at implementing alternative forestry management approaches and technique, supported through creating an enabling environment to build institutional and technical capacities.

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems in São Tomé and Príncipe

In response to adaptation technology needs addressed in the NAPA of São Tomé and Príncipe, this project aims at helping this Small Island Developing State (SIDS) secure and transfer critical Early Warning Systems (EWSs) technologies. Expected impacts include benefits for the poor excluded from large protective infrastructure project, and long term planning for land use, agricultural planning and hydro electricity.