Asia-Pacific 'Early Warnings For All' Webinar : Institutionalising EWS

Time

11:00-12:00 (GMT+7)

Introduction

In March 2022, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative with the ambitious aim to create a world where every person, everywhere in the world has access to a life-saving early warning system (EWS) by 2027. Later that year, at COP27, an Executive Action Plan was presented that will guide the implementation of the initiative. This Plan underlines the importance of partnerships and inclusive multistakeholder engagement as well as science, technology, capacity development, and sustainable and innovative financing as critical cross-cutting enablers for successful implementation of the initiative. The EW4All initiative is a critical contribution to achieving Target G of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, as well as to several Sustainable Development Goals and the adaptation goal of the Paris Agreement.

Experience has shown that EWSs can only be as effective as their weakest link. An effective early warning is possible only if there is a strong connection between the four components and if the full cycle works together. This requires active engagement, interactions and involvement of all actors, including national and local governments, and a wide range of stakeholders at all levels.

As the most disaster-impacted region in the world, the Asia-Pacific region is home to a diverse range of complex and often cascading hazards, early warning approaches, technological opportunities, and social and economic challenges to achieve EW4All. Thus, this webinar series will strive to provide a platform to showcase local-level good practices from the Asia-Pacific region, promote knowledge-sharing, and leverage existing networks of early warning service providers and users in the Asia-Pacific region.

The series will also aim to continue the momentum gained to achieve EW4All across the region, in line with the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024, Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2025, and Regional and Global EW4All Multi-Stakeholder Forums (MSFs) in 2024/2025, and to further amplify these outcomes at the next ESCAP Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction session in November 2025 and other occasions.

Objectives

1. Address knowledge gaps to accelerate implementation of multi-hazard EWSs (MHEWSs) at each stage of the value chain, with a focus on showcasing local and national level good practices.
2. Continue momentum created at APMCDRR, GPDRR, and MSF discussions on EW4All with a network of early warning service providers and users across Asia and the Pacific.
3. Reflect collective learnings from the webinar series within the context of progress towards the Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development at the ESCAP Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction session (25-28 November 2025), Anticipatory Action Regional Dialogue Platform (tbc, early November 2025) and relevant other regional events organised by Pillar leads, partners, and governments (e.g. subregional Sustainable Development Fora).
4. Clarify the pathways for engagement in EW4All as an open, inclusive, and adaptable global initiative-what it means to join, how to participate, the benefits to the communities, businesses, institutions involved, the role of regional and sub-regional organisations/mechanisms, how to sustain achievements and update and resource respective national MHEWS roadmaps/plans, etc.

Target audience

• Local actors involved in EWSs
• Representatives from EW4All participating countries and interested countries
• Supporting international, regional, national and local organisations, businesses, civil society and non-governmental organizations, and other development partners
• Academia and media

Topic: Institutionalising EWSs

Strong early warning systems begin with strong foundations. This webinar will explore how legal, policy, and governance frameworks can institutionalise multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWSs), building trust and certainty across all levels of society. Join us to learn from national and local experiences in the Asia-Pacific region and discover how institutional arrangements can drive effective, sustainable early warning action.

This webinar is part of the Asia-Pacific EW4All Webinar Series, which aims to accelerate the implementation of inclusive, multi-hazard early warning systems across the region by showcasing good practices, fostering collaboration, and strengthening local capacities. For more details, please visit the website: https://unescap.org/APEW4All