The early warning of the conditions that can lead to disasters is a central part of disaster risk reduction. A clear warning, received in time, can mean the difference between life and death, or between economic survival and ruin.

Early warning is defined as “The provision of timely and effective information, through identified institutions, that allow individuals exposed to a hazard, to take action to avoid or reduce their risk and prepare for effective response” (See Terminology of disaster risk reduction).

The modern view of early warning is that it includes the full chain of action – prior knowledge of the risks faced, a technical monitoring and warning service, the dissemination of warnings in a form that people understand, and knowledge by people of how they should respond. Taken together, this is called the “early warning system.”

Early warning progress under the IATF
The working groups of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) have made considerable contributions to the development of early warning, particularly Working Group 2: Early Warning, but also Working Group 1: Climate and Disasters, which dealt with El Nino issues, and Working Group 4: Wildland Fires. Full reports of the working group meetings, and many background documents may be found under these links.

Second International Conference on Early Warning (EWC-II), Bonn, 16-18 October 2003
This conference was initiated by the IATF Working Group 2 Early Warning, and attracted several hundred participants and a wide range of backgrounds – ministers, government officials, scientists, and civil society leaders. Drawing on regional assessments, it reviewed progress and proposed the main elements of a program of action for strengthening international dialogue and action of early warning. A summary of the conference has been prepared, and the program of action and other outputs of the conference, along with many background documents, may be found on the conference web site www.ewc2.org

A new ISDR Early Warning Platform in Bonn, Germany
The early warning conference (EWC-II) called for the creation of a “platform” – an organizational capacity – to stimulate and support the development of early warning and the implementation of the conference recommendations. Subsequently, the Government of Germany offered to support such a platform in Bonn, and with this support the ISDR Secretariat has begun to plan and develop a suitable ISDR capacity there, with a view to full operation by the end of 2004 (see Outline of early warning platform concept). Updates on the initiative will be posted on this web site as it progresses.