The success of early warning systems in saving lives and livelihoods needs to 'travel the last mile' to the world's most exposed and vulnerable communities 

By Andy McElroy

CANCUN, Mexico, 24 May 2017 – Advances in early warning systems and disaster risk awareness have saved tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars.

However, care must be taken to ensure that all people and sectors benefit and that the development of such systems does not create new divides between haves and have-nots.

Mr. David Edgar Tonoyan, Minister of Emergency Situations, Armenia, told the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction that increased cooperation and investment could combine to ensure an inclusive approach that benefits all stakeholders.

“We are living in a world of science, innovation and technology, which offers great opportunities to understand what is happening today and what will happen tomorrow in terms of disaster risk,” the Minister said.

“Multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information are very important components for effective disaster risk management.”

Minister Tonoyan was delivering the Chair’s opening remarks at the ‘Special Session: Availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information’. The session summarized the outcomes of the Multi-Hazard Early Warning Conference held earlier at the Global Platform.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said that climate change and rising temperatures were accompanied by more intense and extreme weather events. He cited recent floods in Peru, Colombia and Canada as examples.

“All of these events undermine sustainable development,” he said. “We need national hazard centers to address meteorological, hydrological, oceanic, air quality, seismic and volcanic risk all together.