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Report: 396 million people have CREWS-supported forecasting, early warning services
At least 396 million people have the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems initiative (CREWS)-supported forecasting and early warning services since 2017, according to the annual report entitled “ Building Momentum”.
CREWS supported new or improved forecasting and warning services for 125 million people in 19 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Caribbean in 2023, the report added.
This includes 73.7 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger now better protected from flash floods with more timely and accurate forecasts and warnings on a rapid onset hazard. An initial review in Mali shows it had already saved lives, the report said.
There are new or ongoing community-based support and outreach involving agrometeorological, flood and other hazard early warning and response services for 9.2 million people in 5 countries.
Some 58 national plans, strategies and laws on early warning developed with CREWS support and approved since 2017.
The report is packed with facts, figures and case studies of how CREWS funding has helped the poorest and most climate vulnerable people protect their lives and livelihoods in the face of climate danger countries by strengthening resilience and building early warning systems against hazards such as floods and drought.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Bank Group/Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) are implementing partners of CREWS. In 2023, there were 12 donor countries which are CREWS Members. The growing membership and financial support testify to the relevance, urgency and value of CREWS work.
“Early warning systems are the linchpin of climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction. We embarked on the ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative because every person on Earth needs to have access to timely, authoritative, and life-saving weather and climate risk information. CREWS is an important vehicle to achieve this goal,” wrote WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo in the report.
CREWS is a key partner in the international drive to ensure that everyone is covered by early warning services by the end of 2027. It prioritizes Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.
“The vision of the Early Warnings for All initiative … created new opportunities for people-centered, science-based and effective multi-hazard early warning systems at scale. We continued to build national and international momentum in our mission,” says Gerard Howe, Chair of the CREWS Steering Committee and Head, Adaptation, Nature & Resilience Department Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK.
“Our country-driven financing will enable national institutions to benefit from the wider and growing range of expertise and services, supporting their remits to serve and protect. Our operational momentum gathered by meeting high demand for accelerated support financing,” he wrote in the foreword of the report.
“With 24 active or new projects and quick interventions in 2023, funds committed to follow up projects in the Caribbean and Niger, and a new initiative in Djibouti, we doubled CREWS operations in three years. We must maintain this drive while simultaneously and confidently communicating achievements. However, we must continually improve. 2024 will see a more comprehensive and robust CREWS system to monitor our results, assess our impact, and use our learning for even greater impact,” wrote Howe.
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