World Meteorological Organization

The Expert Team on Early Warning Services (ET-EWS) will serve, under the direction of the Standing Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction and Public Services (SC-DRR) of the Commission for Weather, Climate, Water and Related Environmental Services and Applications (“Services Commission” – SERCOM) and the general oversight of the president of SERCOM, taking into account the Executive Action Plan on Early Warnings for All, in consultation with the relevant substructures of the technical commissions, the Research Board, Capacity Development Panel, regional associations and other bodies as necessary, to:
(1) Analyse technical challenges and needs of Members struggling to establish and have access to multi-hazard early warning systems, including those of development and humanitarian partners and their lessons learnt;
(2) Develop draft priority activities, including a list of WMO standards and new guidance and training material necessary for the said Members to establish the effective multi-hazard early warning services;
(3) Develop the draft proposal of technical, scientific and technological elements required for WMO activities contributing to Early Warnings for All;
(4) Engage with, and learn from, existing WMO programmes and initiatives and those of other organizations, to leverage synergies and avoid duplication of efforts;
(5) Build on existing, and develop new guidance and supportive frameworks, where necessary, to cover gaps in hazards not currently addressed and extend the coverage of existing WMO Infrastructures including regional specialized meteorological centres, leveraging outcomes from the previous activities, including those of the Expert Teams on MHEWS Interoperable Environment (ET-MIE) and Global Multi-Hazard Alert System (ET-GMAS) including but not limited to MIE Framework and GMAS implementation plan;
(6) Build in gender equality and social inclusion requirements into WMO activities contributing to the UN Early Warnings for All;
(7) To report outcomes of ET activities to the Services Commission Management Group;
(8) To ensure the work of the ET and of other bodies reiterates the fundamental role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) as the official and authoritative providers of early warnings for hydrometeorological hazards and the necessity for close collaboration with national disaster risk management agencies and other stakeholders, in the development and delivery of impact based early warnings;
(9) To regularly report to EC on the progress of activities supporting the Early Warnings for All initiative and to take direction from EC on future advancement of the initiative.