The Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning System and Early Action (AMHEWAS) Programme

Countries with limited early warning systems face disaster-related mortality rates nearly six times higher than those with strong systems.

As of 2026

More than 75%Countries reported having Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS)

+155%Increase in comprehensiveness of MHEWS capabilities across Africa since 2022

10%countries reporting substantial accessible risk knowledge capabilities

Source: Sendai Framework Monitor, data as of August 2026

The Early Warning for All (EW4All) initiative is already strengthening climate resilience across Africa. Today, Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) are in place in over 50% of African countries. This progress is translating into better preparedness, anticipatory action, and reduced disaster impacts.

However, significant gaps remain in Africa, where MHEWS coverage and system comprehensiveness are well below the global average. These gaps are especially critical in fragile, vulnerable, and conflict affected countries, where climate shocks frequently compound insecurity, displacement, and humanitarian crises. In such contexts, early warning systems are not only a technical tool but a lifeline for saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and preventing crisis escalation.

Beginnings of the programme

Since 2018, national DRR authorities of 17 African countries, in partnership with UNDRR and CIMA Research Foundation, developed probabilistic disaster risk profiles for floods and droughts at the national level. in 2019 UNDRR initiated a second phase of the project that was structured to develop a road map to build resilient societies by further improving availability, accessibility and the use of risk information at continental, regional, and national scales involving African Union Commission (AUC), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the countries, as well as key African actors in the field of DRR.

In 2020, the AUC with support from UNDRR and the CIMA Research Foundation developed a Road Map for Improving the Availability, Access and Use of Disaster Risk Information for Early Warning and Early Action. The Road Map identifies recommendations aiming to improve the availability, accessibility and use of risk information at the continental, regional, national scales for the African Union Commission, regional Economic Communities and the Member States, with four pilot countries (Angola, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zambia).

In 2022, the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning System and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) Programme 2022-2030 was established by African Union Commission (AUC). The AMHEWAS programme was conceived as an initiative to catalyse risk-informed early action and strengthen resilience in Africa by investing in multi-hazard early warning systems. Its key actions are focused around enhancing member states’ capacities to respond to hazards by:

Understanding the scale and distribution of hazards
Ensuring that multi-hazard early warning systems are backed up by interoperable situation rooms; and
Bridging the early warning – early action gaps.

Ultimately, the comprehensive early warning systems being strengthened around the continent, and their outputs, will drive the response and coordination capacities of Member States forwards, and build the overall resilience to the impacts of natural hazards in Africa.

Read the AUC's full brief on the AMHEWAS programme here.

In February 2025, the African Union's executive council gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union. During this session, the council recognised the on-going efforts of AMHEWAS Programme, and declared it Africa's primary vehicle for implementing early warning activities including the application EW4All.

In 2026, the Africa Early Warnings Forum held in Addis Ababa acknowledged the contributions of the AMHEWAS programme in achieving the objectives of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.

From risk profiles to a continental network

The AMHEWAS institutional and operational framework aligns with the four Early Warnings for All pillars: disaster risk knowledge; detection, observation, monitoring, analysis and forecasting; warning dissemination and communication; and preparedness to respond.

Disaster knowledge, Detection, observation & forecasting, Warning dissemination, Preparedness to respond

2018

Sixteen African countries, with UNDRR and the CIMA Research Foundation, developed probabilistic disaster risk profiles for floods and droughts.

2019

UNDRR launches a second phase to build a road map for resilient societies, involving the AUC, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and national actors.

2020

AUC, with UNDRR and CIMA, publishes the Road Map for Improving Availability, Access and Use of Disaster Risk Information — piloted in Angola, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia.

2021–2022

First three centres go live 24/7: the Continental Situation Room (Addis Ababa), and regional centres in Kenya (the IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Centre) and Niger (African Center of Meteorological Applications for Development) — all funded by the Government of Italy.

2022

The AUC establishes the AMHEWAS Programme 2022–2030, aligned with Sendai Framework Target G, with support from Italy, Denmark, the World Bank, UNDRR, UNDP and NORCAP.

2023

A fourth situation room opens in Nigeria for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The AMHEWAS Steering Committee and Technical Working Groups are established, with UNDRR as a member.

2024

AMHEWAS expands to the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) with a Multi-Hazard Situation Room in Cameroon (CREWS-funded), plus Tanzania's Emergency Operation and Communication Center (EOCC) situation room becomes the first national connection (Italy-funded).

2025

Niger's Centre Opérationnel de Veille, d’Alerte et de Conduite des Crises (COVACC) situation room is renovated with Italian funding and technical support from UNDRR and CIMA Research Foundation.

2025–2026

UNDRR, CIMA Research Foundation, the International Federation of the Red Cross, and the World Bank support AMHEWAS expansion: nationally in Ethiopia and Mozambique, regionally at the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC) in Mozambique, and at the Centre Regional de Formation et d'Application en Agrométéorologie et Hydrologie Opérationnelle (AGRHYMET) in Niger.

All AMHEWAS centres connect through a free, open-source platform for analysis, processing and integration of forecasting data — disseminated as standardized bulletins so system actors can act early. As co-lead of Early Warnings for All and lead of Pillar 1 (Disaster risk knowledge), UNDRR is committed to supporting the programme.

AMHEWAS tools

Continental Watch

Multi-hazard forecasting bulletin covering wind storms, extreme precipitation and river flooding, with a 5-day outlook and risk levels by area. Produced by the AUC with UNDRR, ICPAC, ACMAD and CIMA.

Africa Drought Watch

Impact-based drought bulletin co-produced by the AUC, ACMAD and RECs — highlighting risks to agriculture, food security and rural livelihoods.

Disaster Situation Reports

Rapid hazard and impact updates for ongoing disasters, co-produced by RECs and affected Member States, updated through the event.

AMHEWAS simulation exercise handbook & toolkit

Supports AUC, UNDRR, RECs, the Africa Network of Centres of Excellence for DRR and national authorities in planning simulation exercise (SIMEX) activities to test hypothetical risk scenarios without the pressure of a real event.