Early warning systems in climate risk management: Roles and implementations in eradicating barriers and overcoming challenges

This study reviewed 669 articles and, using the PRISMA framework, systematically selected 37 relevant studies through four stages: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. Its objective was to support decision-makers in identifying effective risk mitigation measures and early warning system (EWS) mechanisms by examining their roles and the barriers that limit successful implementation. 

The findings highlight a range of human and social constraints affecting EWS performance, including socio-cultural factors, political instability, communication challenges, technological limitations, inadequate financing, and insufficient community involvement. The review underscores the effectiveness of community-based EWSs in delivering people-centred warnings in disaster-prone and vulnerable regions, particularly for floods, droughts, and tropical cyclones. It also presents Bangladesh as a case study of EWS success, illustrating how integrated climate risk management approaches have reduced impacts from floods, cyclones, and droughts. A key gap identified across the literature is the lack of appropriate equipment for hazard monitoring, forecasting, and warning dissemination. Overall, the study’s findings have significant implications for social, environmental, and financial systems, contributing to stronger disaster risk reduction efforts, informing policy and technical innovation, and supporting resilience at local, national, and global levels.