Gender-responsive and disability-inclusive early warning and early action in the Pacific region

The report explores the barriers, challenges and opportunities to strengthening gender-responsive and disability-inclusive early warning early action in the Pacific, focusing on existing policies, practices and knowledge. It seeks to capture evidence on risk perception, warning practices and response mechanisms that could be leveraged to make early warning systems (EWS) inclusive and people-centered.

The findings show that Pacific SIDS have well-established institutional and legislative frameworks for disaster risk management, including action on climate change. There are many initiatives and efforts to achieve a shared vision and commitment across SIDS to mainstream gender and disability inclusion into disaster risk reduction and EWS. While gender and disability are integrated into and referenced in the national policies and strategies, insufficient information and understanding of the root causes of vulnerability and limited capacity to address them in local disaster management plans and response mechanisms remain challenging. In reality, many tasks remain to effectively implement and apply mainstreaming commitments.