The event aimed to mobilize Prime Ministers to help the Early Warnings for All initiative (EW4ALL) within the face of mounting local weather hazards.
2021 was the area’s fourth costliest hurricane season on report, with 21 named storms, together with seven hurricanes.
Defending susceptible communities
UN Secretary-General António Guterres introduced EW4ALL on the COP27 local weather change convention in Egypt in November.
The initiative requires funding throughout catastrophe danger data, observations and forecasting, preparedness and response, and communication of early warnings, with notably precedence positioned on susceptible communities.
It outlines preliminary new focused investments of $ 3.1 billion between now and 2027, equal to a price of simply 50 cents per individual per yr.
Saving lives, lowering losses
The World Meteorological Group (WMO) and the UN Workplace for Catastrophe Danger Discount (UNDRR) are co-leads within the plan’s implementation.
In a report final yr, they famous that lower than half of all international locations will not be protected by multi-hazard early warning methods, that are among the many most confirmed, cost-effective local weather adaptation measures.
Not solely do they save lives, lowering catastrophe mortality by an element of eight, however additionally they cut back financial losses within the aftermath of local weather catastrophes.
“The variety of weather-related disasters around the globe has risen fivefold over the previous 50 years, but not all international locations within the Caribbean have end-to-end early warning methods,” stated Petteri Taalas, the WMO Secretary-Normal.
Cooperation and funding
On the regional launch in Barbados’s capital, Bridgetown, leaders outlined sensible measures to make sure EW4ALL is included in catastrophe danger administration methods, whereas additionally highlighting work already underway, together with by entities such because the Caribbean Catastrophe Emergency Administration Company (CDEMA).
“The Early Warnings for All initiative provides us a possibility to strengthen cooperation round funding in multi-hazard early warning methods to make sure the protection of the folks of the Caribbean,” stated Elizabeth Riley, Govt Director of CDEMA.
Whereas 19 States and territories take part in CDEMA, solely 30 per cent have established roadmaps for multi-hazard early warning methods.
WMO burdened that it’s vital to help the Caribbean in constructing local weather and catastrophe resilience in order that international locations can take early motion.
“Launching Early Warnings for All within the Caribbean is a crucial first step towards coalescing the nationwide, regional, and world cooperation wanted to make sure everybody on Earth, particularly probably the most susceptible populations, are protected by multi-hazard early warning methods,” stated Mami Mizutori, Particular Consultant for Catastrophe Danger Discount and the Head of UNDRR.
The launch additionally coincided with a WMO convention for the area, themed: Rising climate, water and local weather resilience in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
That occasion is happening in Kingston, Jamaica, by means of Thursday.
