CREWS earmarks $ 77m to boost early warning system

20 / 05 / 2024

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Climate Risk and Early Warnings Initiative (CREWS Initiative) has approved funding to boost progress towards providing life-saving early warning systems in vulnerable Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States by the end of 2027.

CREWS aims to bridge the early warning capacity gap in LDCs and SIDS with US$ 77 million in technical assistance over the coming two years to cover immediate demand.
The 18-month Early Warnings for All Accelerator for LDCs and SIDS Project targets seven countries: Comoros, Kiribati, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nepal, Solomon Islands, and Tonga, with the primary objective of strengthening their Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS).

The project will be jointly implemented by the four Early Warnings for All pillar leads: the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). They will work alongside National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs) and the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHHSs) in each country.

“This CREWS Board decision will accelerate positive impact by working with seven countries most at risk of climate change impacts and with our new partners ITU and IFRC in order to reach over 61 million people. A people-centered and multi-stakeholder approach to building accurate and timely multi-hazard early warning systems is core to the value of CREWS and the effectiveness of our financing,” said CREWS Chair, Gerard Howe, who is also the Head of the Adaptation, Nature & Resilience department of the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) commented,

The project will address gaps along the MHEWS value chain and identify existing capacities and needs and how to leverage ongoing initiatives. It will span all four Early Warnings for All pillars. It will take an inclusive, people-centered approach, embrace specific at-risk communities, such as persons with disabilities and children and harness local and indigenous knowledge. The project seeks to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing, and to help build partnerships in a spirit of accountability, and transparency.