EWS-F in Central America and the Caribbean - Introduction Meeting
WMO and the United States Agency for International Development/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) are working on a project targeted towards strengthening Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) in Central America and the Caribbean countries. The project titled ‘Early Warning Systems for Floods in Central America and the Caribbean (EWS-F CA&C)’, aligns with the UN EW4All initiative and will be focused on the priority countries in WMO Regional Association for North and Central America and the Caribbean (RA IV), namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guatemala, and Haiti.
To kick-start the process of implementing EWS-F in these countries, an Introduction Meeting was held the 8 April 2024 online. The purposes of this meeting were to introduce the Permanent Representatives and Hydrological Advisors of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guatemala, and Haiti to the fundamentals of EWS-F and Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS), as well as to explore ways for their development and implementation.
The meeting was attended by 33 people in total (10 women and 23 men), comprised of Permanent Representatives, Hydrological Advisors, and staff of the NMHSs of participating countries, representatives of regional institutions, the President and the Regional Hydrological Advisor of RA IV, USAID representative and consultants, and WMO Secretariat from Headquarters and Regional Office for the Americas.
The report, agenda, and full list of participants are available here. The meeting presentation is accessible here.
The meeting was held on Zoom and benefited from interpretation in English, French, and Spanish.
