2nd Arab Forum on Early Warning Systems and Disaster Preparedness

As disaster and climate risks across the Arab region become increasingly complex and interconnected, strengthening people-centred, multi-hazard early warning systems has become essential for protecting lives, livelihoods and sustainable development. Water scarcity, prolonged droughts, extreme heat, flash floods, tropical cyclones, sand and dust storms, earthquakes, sea-level rise and coastal erosion are occurring alongside rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, displacement, protracted crises and growing pressure on infrastructure and public services. While countries have made significant progress in strengthening early warning capacities, many continue to face challenges related to disaster risk information, forecasting, institutional coordination, last-mile communication, preparedness, sustainable financing and operational capacity, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

The League of Arab States, together with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and regional partners, will convene the Second Arab Forum on Early Warning Systems and Disaster Preparedness in Tunis, Tunisia, from 12 to 14 October 2026. Building on the outcomes of the First Arab Forum held in Cairo in 2025, the Forum will bring together Arab Member States, United Nations organizations, regional institutions, scientific organizations, humanitarian actors, development partners and technical experts to strengthen regional cooperation and accelerate implementation of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.

The Forum will focus on reviewing regional progress, achievements and remaining implementation gaps under the Early Warnings for All initiative while identifying practical actions to accelerate implementation of its four pillars: disaster risk knowledge, observations and forecasting, warning dissemination and communication, and preparedness and response. Participants will exchange regional experiences, showcase innovative practices and discuss how financing, technology, governance, public-private partnerships and South-South cooperation can strengthen sustainable, nationally owned and people-centred multi-hazard early warning systems across the Arab region.

Discussions will also examine opportunities to strengthen regional partnerships, institutional coordination and investment in disaster preparedness and anticipatory action. Participants will identify strategic regional priorities and partnership opportunities for sustaining and expanding multi-hazard early warning systems while ensuring that early warning services effectively reach vulnerable communities and address increasingly complex and cascading risks. The Forum will also provide an opportunity to align regional efforts with broader disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation and resilience agendas.

The Forum is expected to produce a regional outcome statement outlining priority actions, commitments and partnership opportunities for accelerating implementation of sustainable multi-hazard early warning systems across the Arab States. Participants will also develop regional recommendations to inform the EW4All regional-to-global consultative process, contributing to an Arab regional synthesis report and providing strategic inputs to the 2027 Arab Regional Platform and the 2028 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. The discussions will document regional progress, lessons learned, operational gaps and investment priorities to help shape future regional and global policy dialogue.

Through high-level dialogue, technical exchange and regional cooperation, the Forum will strengthen collective efforts to accelerate the implementation of the Early Warnings for All initiative across the Arab region. By promoting stronger governance, innovation, sustainable financing, preparedness and partnerships, the event will contribute to the implementation of Target G of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and advance regional resilience through effective, inclusive and people-centred multi-hazard early warning systems.

Registration for the Second Arab Forum on Early Warning Systems and Disaster Preparedness is now open. Participants are invited to complete their registration through the link below no later than 30 September 2026. Early registration is encouraged to facilitate participation and the necessary organizational arrangements.

Registration link here.