A global review of disaster reduction initiatives - Welcome to the ...

5Living with Risk: A global review of disaster reduction initiatives264Political responsibility to promote integratedearly warning strategiesThe first requisite for achieving an effectiveearly warning system is recognition of the valueof early warning in protecting the interests ofsocieties and communities. Political willingnessto use it as a meaningful policy instrument fordisaster risk management will derive from thisacknowledgement. However, commitment isnot enough. Mobilizing the necessary political,human, technical, material and financialresources is needed to underpin better warningsthat can avoid, or at least reduce, risks.Governments need to support legislation,administration, contingency planning andoperational procedures including inter-ministerial/inter-agencyrelationships. Well-developeddecision-making capacities will avoid disastersthat occur because predictions are consideredas being too uncertain. Governmentsneed to take the initiative to establish, andthereafter, maintain the necessary collaborativeframework needed for the functioning of credibleand accountable warning systems. Theyhave the responsibility to promote integratedearly warning strategies so as to gain wide supportfor the implementation of governmentaldecisions at times of crisis. Political initiativesand support will guarantee the technical andsocial relevance, usefulness and efficiency ofearly warning strategies. One element thatshould increase political commitment towardsearly warning strategies is the availability ofindicators to measure their effectiveness, especiallyin terms of losses avoided and recipientsatisfaction.The following are examples of successfulnational early warning systems in use.Mauritius offers an interesting example ofinstitutional arrangements according high priorityto early warning of cyclones. The explicitspecifications of the principal elements of thecyclone warning dissemination system, includingroles and responsibilities (with details ofwarnings and their dissemination) are set outin the Cyclone and other Natural DisastersScheme (1995). The Mauritius MeteorologicalOffice is part of the Prime Minister’sOffice. The Central Cyclone Committee, awell-administered and communication-orientedcentral body, provides leadership to ensurethe effectiveness of the warning system. Thisendorsement from the political centre of Mauritiusis a particularly strong and commendablefeature of its disaster planning from which otherselsewhere can learn. A high degree of legitimizationis accorded by this support. Effectiveleadership is provided from a central governmentcommittee in the area of disaster preparedness(including the warning system),mitigation and recovery (UK Flagship Programme,1998).SADC countries have long focused attentionon drought and resulting food security issuesfor which early warning and preparednessmechanisms have been developed over the lasttwenty years. However, recent extreme weatherevents have encouraged a wider perspective forearly warning and more comprehensive disasterpreparedness activities. Such a shift conveysthe understanding that potential disasters arerooted in the relations between human actions,environmental conditions, management of naturalresources and the climate. Therefore additionalwarning requirements need to beaddressed through policies that can provide anintegrated regional early warning and disasterpreparedness framework. Necessary steps havebeen taken through the development of aframework for a multisectoral disaster managementstrategy supported by UNDP.Another step forward was made through theprocess launched by SADC heads of State andGovernment following the devastating floodsin Southern Africa in early 2000. This initiativeprovides a good example of political willingnessto improve early warning and preparednesscapacities. A review of the contributionsthat meteorological and hydrological servicesprovide to early warning and disaster preparednessresulted in recommendations forpolitical decisions to boost regional early warningstrategies. Recommendations included theneed for SADC countries to create a policy thatis more focused on regional requirements forearly warning and disaster preparedness. Toachieve this, the formulation and progressiveimplementation of a structured regionalapproach was proposed, able to link increasednational capacities to improve early warning. Itwas also recommended that adequate fundingbe provided to national institutions to equipthem with the necessary facilities and tools tomaintain their high level of public service inthe national interest, and to enable them to