Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through the Early Warnings for All Initiative

In a significant effort to advance global resilience against climate-related hazards, national workshops were conducted in Juba, South Sudan (14 May), and Kampala, Uganda (26 May). These workshops, central to the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative, were facilitated through a multi-stakeholder partnership, exemplifying SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The collaboration involved the four pillar leads of the initiative: the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), alongside local stakeholders.

The EW4All Initiative’s core mission is to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027, a direct contribution to SDG 13 (Climate Action) by strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters.

Strategic Framework for National Roadmaps and SDG Alignment

The primary outcome of the workshops was the validation of national roadmaps designed to provide a structured blueprint for fortifying people-centred early warning systems (EWS). These roadmaps are instrumental in achieving several Sustainable Development Goals by creating a coordinated approach to disaster risk reduction.

Core Components of the National Roadmaps:

• Identification of major gaps in current EWS infrastructure.
• Definition of specific outputs and activities for improvement.
• Assignment of responsibilities to relevant national and local entities.
• Establishment of implementation timelines and estimated budgets.

The development process was highly participatory, involving in-person consultations, rapid assessments, and feedback sessions, ensuring the final roadmaps are aligned with national priorities and contribute effectively to building sustainable and resilient communities as envisioned in SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Country-Specific Implementation and Challenges

South Sudan: Addressing Fragility and Building Institutional Capacity

South Sudan, a nation facing extreme fragility, is vulnerable to severe hazards such as riverine floods, heat waves, and landslides. The effectiveness of its EWS is hindered by significant challenges that the new roadmap aims to address, thereby strengthening institutional capacity in line with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Key Challenges and Gaps:

• Limited meteorological and hydrological monitoring and critical data gaps.
• Shortage of skilled personnel in climate science and disaster risk reduction.
• Inadequate governance frameworks, including a lack of early action protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Weak institutional response capacity.

The 2025-2028 EWS implementation roadmap, developed with key national institutions, will serve as a strategic guide to channel investments and coordinate efforts. This will directly support SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by protecting lives, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure from disaster impacts.

Uganda: Enhancing Coordination for Climate Resilience

Uganda confronts multiple hazards, including floods, landslides, and droughts, which are increasing in frequency and intensity. The national implementation roadmap for 2025-2028 presents a critical opportunity to enhance coordination and overcome institutional challenges within the Department of Meteorological Services.

Strategic Objectives of the Roadmap:

1. Foster improved coordination and collaboration between government agencies and partners, reinforcing SDG 17.
2. Strengthen the national EWS to mitigate the impacts of climate-related hazards, a key target of SDG 13.
3. Overcome existing gaps in data, technology, and communication to ensure warnings reach the most vulnerable communities.

By aligning operational plans with the roadmap’s objectives, Uganda aims to ensure an efficient use of resources. This coordinated action will enhance the nation’s capacity to protect its population and agricultural sector, contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 11. Critical contributions from the Office of the Prime Minister, various ministries, and the Uganda Red Cross Society underscore the collaborative approach to building a more resilient future.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article discusses protecting vulnerable populations in South Sudan and Uganda from hazards like floods and droughts. These disasters can destroy livelihoods, homes, and infrastructure, pushing people into poverty. Early warning systems help mitigate these economic shocks, thus contributing to poverty reduction.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The core focus of the article is on building resilience to natural disasters within communities. The “Early Warnings for All (EW4All)” initiative and the development of national roadmaps are direct actions to make human settlements safer and more resilient, especially in the face of increasing climate-related hazards.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article explicitly addresses the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards such as “riverine floods, heat waves, flash floods, landslides, droughts, and thunderstorms.” The entire initiative is a climate adaptation strategy aimed at reducing the human impact of these events, which are noted to be “increasing in frequency and intensity.”

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The initiative is founded on collaboration. The article highlights a multi-stakeholder partnership involving international bodies (WMO, UNDRR, ITU, IFRC) and various national government ministries in both South Sudan and Uganda. This collaborative approach to “drive national to local efforts, channel investments and facilitate the integration of comprehensive early warning mechanisms” is a clear example of SDG 17 in action.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events.

   The initiative’s focus on South Sudan, described as “one of the most fragile countries in the world,” and its aim to create “people-centred early warning systems” directly aligns with building resilience for the most vulnerable populations against climate-related disasters mentioned in the article.

2. Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… caused by disasters.

   The overarching goal of the EW4All initiative, “to ensure every person on earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027,” is a direct effort to reduce the number of people affected by disasters by providing timely warnings.

3. Target 11.b: Substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… resilience to disasters.

   The development of “national roadmaps” in South Sudan and Uganda serves as a “strategic guide” and a “structured blueprint” for implementing integrated plans for disaster resilience at all levels, from national to local.

4. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

   The entire article is about strengthening the capacity of South Sudan and Uganda to handle hazards like floods, landslides, and droughts by improving their early warning systems (EWS).

5. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on… early warning.

   The article identifies challenges such as a “shortage of skilled personnel in climate science and disaster risk reduction (DRR),” “weak response capacity,” and the “absence of early action protocols,” all of which the national roadmaps aim to address by improving institutional capacity.

6. Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships.

   The article describes a clear multi-stakeholder partnership between the four pillar leads of the EW4All initiative (WMO, UNDRR, ITU, IFRC) and national institutions in South Sudan and Uganda to achieve a common goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Existence of national strategies for disaster risk reduction.

  The creation, validation, and adoption of the “EWS implementation roadmap 2025-2028” for both South Sudan and Uganda is a direct and measurable indicator. The article states these roadmaps will serve as a “strategic guide to drive national to local efforts.”

• Proportion of the population covered by early warning systems.

  The primary goal of the EW4All initiative is “to ensure every person on earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027.” Progress can be measured by tracking the increase in population coverage in South Sudan and Uganda.

• Strengthened institutional capacity.

  Progress can be measured by tracking the development and implementation of “early action protocols” and “standard operating procedures (SOPs),” which the article notes are currently absent in South Sudan. Another indicator is the increase in “skilled personnel in climate science and disaster risk reduction.”

• Financial resources mobilized.

  The article mentions that the roadmaps will “estimate required budgets” and “channel investments.” Tracking the budget allocation and the flow of investments towards the roadmap’s objectives serves as a key financial indicator.

• Number of active multi-stakeholder partnerships.

  The article details the partnerships between UN agencies, IFRC, and national ministries. The “participatory processes involving two in-person consultations” and “feedback sessions” are evidence of these partnerships in action, which can be monitored as an indicator of progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wmo.int