South Caucasus and Kazakhstan Unite for Safer Tomorrow: Advancing Regional Early Warning Systems
The representatives of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services from South Caucasus region and Kazakhstan have gathered in Geneva to address gaps in their national observing, monitoring, and forecasting capacities through the Early Warnings for All initiative. The initiative aims to enhance early warning systems, ensuring protection from hazardous weather, water, or climate events. The event was co-hosted by the WMO Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland in collaboration with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Finnish Environmental Institute.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan share similar challenges, prompting a collective call for improved early warning services. Key findings include securing observational data with sufficient resolution, improving modeling systems for priority hazards, fostering regional cooperation for transboundary hazards, establishing impact-based forecasting services, and advancing expert training in early warning methods.
This pivotal meeting sets the stage for collaborative efforts to fortify the region against the impacts of natural hazards, promoting shared resilience and preparedness.
Potential cooperation strategies include regional data exchange, developing a regional early warning system, and pooling resources and sharing expertise. The next steps include formulating a questionnaire for data exchange, in-depth discussions on developing regional early warning systems, and supporting the development of national early warning systems.