Early Warning Challenges National Disaster Management Centre

Current Context MMS issues alert messages White alerts are shared on viber groups with local councils NDMC issues advisories to Yellow and Red Alerts Advisories are disseminated through NDMC social media channels (twitter, Facebook), website and via email to all media outlets. Advisories would go beyond early warning information provided by MMS. Advisories provide safety steps that should be taken at island level. NDMC does follow up with local councils through phone calls. Routine situation updates are done for Yellow and Red alerts.

Challenges Alert messages are not specific and measurable Alert messages are very technical a layman can’t really relate to the damage that might be caused by winds of 45mph or how rough the seas would be with 45mph winds ALERT YELLOW Advisory: Torrential rain and thunderstorms with gusts of 45 mph expected. Area: Southern atolls. PERIOD:31/1400 - 31/1800 hrs. ISSUED:1338 hrs 31 August 2016. It doesn’t say how much it would rain. Difficult to do probabilistic risk assessments(how much damage it might cause) Not specific on location. For e.g.. Sometimes it doesn’t rain in all atolls in the region during alerts

Challenges Lack of a fail safe end-to-end early warning system NDMC uses a range of mediums for early warning dissemination Media sometimes does not provide coverage if there is another breaking news situation Sometimes island level focal points does not answer to phone calls during routine follow up calls for Yellow Alert Difficult to disseminate early warning during night time High turn over of island level focal points Lack of awareness on early warning. People does not understand phases of early warning or the purpose of it.

Current initiatives and way forward NDMC is in the process of establishing a Common Alert Protocol(CAP) based alert messaging system The system would have wider coverage in terms of recipients of alert messages(approximately around 550 recipients) and would also be open to the public to view and access. NDMC does early warning awareness through Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) activities Need support in strengthening emergency communication and early warning system in the country