Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems’ capacities in the Caribbean Region

This study provides an updated assessment of the status of MHEWS for all CDEMA Participating States (PS). It highlights existing gaps and capacities in the areas of governance, disaster risk knowledge, forecasting, monitoring and detection, warning and dissemination and response capability. It also looks specifically at early warning capacities for geological, hydrometeorological, environmental, biological, chemical, and technological hazards at the country level. The Caribbean region is exposed to multiple hazards which place its inhabitants at risk to injury, death, loss, and displacement. 

Based on the synthesis of the literature and the empirical findings of the research conducted, the following are some of the recommendations towards the advancement and enhancement of MHEWS in the Caribbean: 

• Legislation could be developed for each of the components, aiming for a gradual standardization of the methodology and the establishment of a baseline as a reference for the development and implementation of MHEWS.
• Based on the myriad of hazards which impacted the Caribbean region in 2021, there is need for further expansion of the scope of hazards beyond those related to hydrometeorological risk to reflect the multihazard context and needs of the region. 
• The MHEWS Checklist can be utilised and applied to the remaining 13 CDEMA PSs as a means for an extensive examination of issues related to resource mobilisation, capacity building and community engagement.
• Priority actions to advance MHEWS should be implemented with the support of national MHEWS policies and roadmaps to rectify the issues, enhancing MHEWS in each state and harmonising national MHEWS priorities with regional goals. 
• It is also necessary to strengthen institutional capacities to seek resources from special funds. Technical-Scientific Cooperation could facilitate institutional strengthening by ensuring that countries have specialists in project integration and implementation, which would facilitate access to these funds.