Early warnings that work for everyone: our frontline defence

An older woman kneels in a garden, holding a plastic bottle with a red funnel, surrounded by plants and greenery.

People on the frontlines of the climate crisis are writing the future of disaster preparedness by developing life-saving early warning systems (EWS)

By blending high-tech and low-tech tools that work, alerts arrive faster, through trusted channels, and in languages they speak. This approach leads to slashed evacuation times and protected livelihoods.

With the support of Practical Action, these communities are leading the way in turning risk into readiness, one text, radio signal, and community map at a time. When warnings are shaped by and for those most affected, resilience becomes more than a buzzword: it becomes a shared lifeline.

We’ll be championing these approaches at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

For more information, follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with our activities, and don’t miss our learning lab and side event on equitable EWS. You can also explore our work on EWS, including our perspective on multi-hazard EWS, our recommendations for people-centred EWS finance, and our Missing Voices Approach developed through our work in Senegal.

The danger of doubt

When the Melamchi River in Nepal began to swell on 15 June 2021, farmer Gyanendra Kakshapati received a few SMS alerts warning him of potential danger. But the alerts contained conflicting information, and they arrived late in the day.

As devastating flash floods hit, Gyanendra tried to protect his farm – his family’s livelihood. He was swept away. His family never saw him again.

Sadly, Gyanendra’s story is all too familiar in places where warnings are delayed or arrive in a form people struggle to access.

Across Latin America, Asia and Africa, climate hazards are on the rise. Over the last 50 years, floods, droughts, and storms have increased fivefold, and by 2050, an additional 14.5 million lives could be at risk, with damages estimated at $12.5 trillion. Despite this, early warning efforts still struggle to deliver alerts on time, in the right format, and reach the people who need them most.

Only half of all countries have multi-hazard systems and a third of the world’s population lack any warning system at all. Those most at risk tend to be marginalised communities who already face the worst climate impacts, such as indigenous groups, people with disabilities, and women.

A row of colorful houses stands on rocky terrain beside a dry riverbed, with green hills and cloudy sky in the background. — Pictured: Aftermath of the Melamchi River floods in Nepal

Bridging policy and practice in Latin America

Across Latin America, countries are making strides in strengthening early warning systems to better prepare for climate-related disasters. National frameworks and regional collaborations have laid the groundwork, but the real test is ensuring these systems reach and resonate with the people who need them.

In Peru, community involvement has been crucial. Along the Rímac River, residents have become local guardians of safety. From rooftops, patios, or balconies, people like Manuel Carranza and Raquel Yzarra systematically monitor rain levels using hand-held gauges, collecting vital meteorological information as a key part of a community-based EWS. This real-time data feeds into municipal systems, enabling timely alerts to spread through multiple networks.

At the same time, people like Camila are trained as brigade members and are ready to act in an emergency.

Such initiatives demonstrate how blending technology with citizen science can empower communities to act swiftly and effectively in the face of natural hazards.

“Global frameworks are only as strong as the local voices they include. We aim to reinforce the link between the local and the global, bringing evidence of good practices from the most vulnerable communities to global forums, and vice versa.” – Miguel Aréstegui, Thematic Leader, Climate Resilience, at Practical Action in Latin America.

A woman in a Practical Action vest shows a phone to a man outdoors, with a table, funnel, and buildings in the background. — Pictured: Practical Action's risk management specialist, Miluska Ordoñez, with a volunteer from the participatory rainfall monitoring network (Red MOP) in the Rimac river basin

A closer look at Bolivia’s indigenous-led resilience

In early 2014, Bolivia’s floods caught thousands off guard. More than 62,000 families were affected nationwide. In the town of San Buenaventura, homes and crops were swept away overnight. “We had no alarm, no radio message to guide us,” said Tacana Indigenous leader Nicolás Cartagena. “I didn’t expect so much flooding.”

Since then, communities have turned the tide. With Practical Action’s help, they have set up a solar-powered radio network across 20 villages, broadcasting alerts in both Spanish and the Tacana language. Community volunteers maintain simple water sensors on nearby rivers, send real-time updates to authorities, and help neighbours act before it’s too late. Evacuation times have improved by 60% in the last decade.

“In most communities, there’s no mobile signal, only radio,” said Roxana Terrazas, disaster risk lead for the Indigenous territory. “Now we can warn people clearly and quickly.”

She warns there is still work to do: some radios can’t run all day and isolated settlements need better support, but communities now feel more prepared and connected than ever before.

Going beyond alerts to multi-hazard readiness in Nepal

The heavy rainfall on that tragic day in June 2021 turned Nepal’s Melamchi River into a torrent of debris.

By the end of the day, 337 homes were damaged, 525 families were displaced, and critical infrastructure (including 13 suspension bridges and the Melamchi Water Supply Project) lay in ruins.

The disaster exposed critical gaps in Nepal’s early warning systems. And while SMS flood alerts now reach 1.2 million people across 28 districts, coverage remains uneven. Landslide warnings – essential in a country where 80% of terrain is mountainous – protect only a third of high-risk areas.

In the aftermath of the disaster, Practical Action partnered with Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology to install automated weather and hydrological stations across the Indrawati basin. This technology feeds real-time data into the department’s systems, enabling faster and clearer SMS warnings.

Communities also use informal channels – like a local Facebook group – to share updates with people spread out across the region. This helps them cross-check alerts and build trust in the information they receive.

Since 2022, the upgraded network has been helping communities safeguard crops, livestock, and homes.

However, technology alone isn’t enough, stresses Dharam Uprety, Thematic Lead, Climate Resilience, Practical Action in Nepal. “There is a dire need to expand people-centric, multi-hazard early warning systems across all river systems,” he says.

“This is especially crucial given the growing impacts of climate change and the need for climate-induced disaster risk reduction.”

A group of women stands together outdoors in front of trees and a building, beneath a sign on a post. — Pictured: Tacana women at their community meeting point with inclusive signage in the Bolivian Amazon

We must act now

Warning systems that save lives aren’t just technical installations; they’re built on human connection, trust, and long-term commitment. This approach has worked in Peru, Bolivia, and Nepal, but it won’t spread without global support.

At this year’s Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Practical Action urges governments, funders, and technical partners to back systems that people can rely on, especially those most exposed to climate hazards.

This means:

Designing with and for communities
Investing in training, maintenance, and local leadership, as well as new equipment
Using trusted low-tech methods like radio and SMS alongside digital tools
Embedding EWS roles in official plans instead of relying on temporary projects
Tracking tangible impacts, like lives protected and time gained
Inclusive early warning systems are our frontline defence in a climate‑threatened world. With the right support, they can be the difference between devastation and safety, between knowing too late and having time to act.

Together, we can build systems everyone can trust.

Follow our activities in the Global Platform on LinkedIn.