Purpose of this resource
The Strategic Roadmap provides a long-term framework to strengthen the leadership, capacity, and sustainability of civil society organisations and local actors in driving people-centred early warning systems.
Its purpose is to guide coherent programming, secure predictable financing, and ensure that early warnings translate into early, anticipatory action across communities most exposed to climate and disaster risks.
Built on evidence from global surveys (80+ countries), national workshops, impact stories from 12 countries, and a global seminar, the roadmap offers a unified direction for governments, CSOs, donors, and regional bodies to institutionalise locally led early warning systems within national governance and global resilience agendas.
Download the full roadmap below.
Background
Early warning systems and anticipatory action are among the most effective tools for reducing disaster risk and protecting lives. Timely alerts and actionable information help communities prepare for and respond to hazards – from floods and droughts to cyclones and volcanic eruptions.
Too many systems remain inaccessible, underfunded, and disconnected from the communities most at risk. Technical limitations, weak local coordination, and social and cultural barriers prevent warnings from reaching – and being acted on by – those who need them most. Civil society organisations are rarely recognised as key partners in system design and delivery. And local voices remain largely absent from decision-making.
This roadmap, built on the knowledge, inputs and recommendations from GNDR’s global network of members, aligns early warning programmes and initiatives across countries and stakeholders. It consolidates evidence, policy insights, and community-driven priorities. And it helps local champions influence national and global strategies, advance anticipatory action finance, and embed locally-led early warning systems into long-term development and climate resilience frameworks.
Project funded by
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK government
Our Localising Early Warning Systems and Anticipatory Action Through CSOs project is made possible by the support of the Early Warning Early Action (EWEA) Fund/Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). This material has been funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
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