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Mozambique: Advancing Early Warnings for All
Strengthening inclusive, end-to-end early warning systems that turn forecasts into early action

Bangladesh: Advancing Early Warnings for All

Mozambique is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in Africa. Over 60 percent of its population lives along a low-lying coastline that is highly exposed to tropical cyclones and storm surges. Recurrent floods, droughts, and storms threaten lives and livelihoods and are a major driver of poverty and displacement. Through the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, Mozambique is building the systems, partnerships, and community networks needed to turn forecasts into timely action that saves lives. 

Following the launch, Mozambique finalized its national EW4All Roadmap and, in August 2024, hosted a high-level event to launch the roadmap alongside the investment phase of the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF). The 7.8 million USD investment by the SOFF strengthens observation networks, expands meteorological and hydrological data coverage, and underpins the country’s ability to deliver accurate and timely forecasts. Mozambique’s progress was further strengthened through the Early Warnings for All multi-stakeholder accelerator, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The accelerator supported national coordination and implementation of the EW4All roadmap across the MHEWS value chain, from national to community levels. 

Additionally, UNDRR collaborated with INGC and the National Emergency Operational Centre (CENOE) to develop a Framework for Enhancing the Production, Access, and Use of Risk Knowledge in Mozambique, available in Portuguese and English. The framework identifies key gaps in how risk data is generated, accessed, and used by decision-makers and outlines strategies to improve its integration into early warning and disaster risk management. 

Mozambique volunteered to be among the first countries to roll out the new disaster loss tracking system as a priority activity under its EW4All roadmap. Initial scoping and mapping of existing initiatives have been completed, with a Data Maturity Assessment planned as the next step. The DTS aims to improve the quality and accessibility of disaster data to better inform planning, forecasting, and anticipatory action. 

Since the launch, Mozambique has accelerated work on EW4All through a series of capacity-building activities and technical consultations aimed at improving coordination, strengthening data systems, and operationalizing early warning services. Key events have included: 

  • Strengthening Mobile-Based Public Warning Services (April 2025): ITU, in partnership with INCM, INGD, and national broadcasters, is advancing the transition toward mobile-enabled early warning dissemination. A national workshop in Maputo reviewed warning dissemination practices, introduced practical training on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), and reinforced coordination mechanisms to ensure that forecasts issued by national authorities can be translated into clear, actionable messages across radio, television, and digital platforms. 
  • Diagnostic Assessment for Cell Broadcast Readiness: To support the EW4All Roadmap and national priorities on last-mile communication, ITU is conducting a comprehensive diagnostic of Mozambique’s information and communication technology (ICT) and mobile ecosystem. This assessment examines technical, regulatory, and operational requirements for Cell Broadcast technology, providing a sequenced pathway toward fast, location-based alerts capable of reaching remote and network-challenged areas and strengthening the enabling environment for future nationwide public warning services. 
  • Workshop on the Risk Knowledge Handbook and Inclusive EWS Checklist (December 2024): Hosted by UNDRR, this workshop focused on strengthening the use of risk information and inclusion in early warning systems. The event introduced the Risk Knowledge Handbook, a practical guide to integrating hazard, exposure, and vulnerability data into forecasting, communication, and anticipatory action, and the Inclusive early warning early action: checklist and implementation guide, a framework for ensuring systems are gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and accessible to all. 
  • Africa Network of Centres of Excellence (NoE) Consultations and Trainings (2024): UNDRR hosted a series of national events focused on building technical capacity, strengthening risk knowledge, and supporting the development of multi-hazard early warning systems. As part of the NoE initiative, these sessions aimed to enhance the capabilities of African research, academic, and science institutions to deliver tailored tools, training, and services that support early warning, anticipatory action, and disaster risk reduction in Mozambique. 
  • Specialized Forecasting and Hydromet Training: WMO and the South African Weather Service (SAWS) delivered focused training to INAM and DNGRH on flash-flood guidance, numerical weather prediction, and impact-based forecasting, helping strengthen the technical skills needed for issuing timely and actionable warnings. 
  • Digital and Operational Modernization Support: Through the WISER Early Warning for Southern Africa project, Mozambique received support to enhance nowcasting tools, CAP competencies, and impact-based forecast co-production. WMO also assisted in upgrading INAM and DNGRH websites for CAP-enabled alerting and improved data sharing, complemented by an embedded Pillar 2 coordinator to sustain institutional integration. 
Learn about the tool helping countries monitor disasters with more precision than ever before.

In March 2024, Mozambique participated in the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Action System (AMHEWAS) Co-production and Coordination Meeting in Nairobi, which brought together governments, regional organizations, and UN agencies to strengthen the co-production of early warning products tailored to user needs. Discussions focused on improving the quality, accessibility, and interoperability of early warning information to support anticipatory action. During the discussions, Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD) shared how, in collaboration with the SADC and the African Union Commission (AUC), it had successfully used early warning information on Tropical Cyclone Filippo to trigger anticipatory actions, including activating local emergency operations centres, disseminating alerts, pre-positioning resources, identifying shelters, and relocating people from high-risk areas. At the meeting, participants also agreed to improve the integration and interoperability of early warning tools and identified opportunities for training, peer learning, and collaboration to further strengthen early action across Africa. 

In March 2025, a South–South technical exchange under AMHEWAS brought a Mozambican delegation to Tanzania’s Emergency Operations and Communication Centre (EOCC) in Dodoma to share lessons on managing transboundary risks. Insights led to the co-development of an open-source platform and forecasting tools as well as adapting technical expertise to modernize of Mozambique’s National Situation Room in Maputo and the establishment of a pilot provincial situation room in Beira, while strengthening links with AMHEWAS. 

Mozambique’s commitment to regional early warning and early action also aligns with the the planned CREWS Southern Africa regional project, which aims to strengthen operational forecasting and scale up multi-hazard early warning services in the region. Complementing this, the CREWS-funded South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO) initiative, implemented through regional collaboration among five countries and seven specialized centers, supports improved forecasting and warning capabilities for tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, and other hazards affecting Mozambique and the wider Southwest Indian Ocean. Capacity development from WMO regional centers such as RSMC La Réunion and the Severe Weather Forecasting Programme at the South African Weather Service is enhancing the accuracy and lead time of warnings, while cooperation with the Indian Ocean Commission is improving last-mile dissemination through systematic, trackable SMS-based systems for at-risk communities. Ongoing consultations, including the 2025 SWIO implementation planning meeting held in Mozambique, are guiding work toward establishing a Regional Climate Center to strengthen climate service provision across the region. 

Watch a climate action success story in Mozambique.

Putting communities at the centre 

Local disaster risk management committees, volunteers, and civil society organizations play a critical role in turning forecasts into action, from disseminating alerts through radios, community meetings, and megaphones to coordinating evacuations and pre-positioning essential supplies. At the heart of this network are more than 1,500 Local Disaster Risk Management Committees (CLGRD), which conduct risk assessments, develop action plans, lead evacuation drills, and ensure that warnings reach households in time These local structures help ensure that early warnings are trusted, understood, and acted upon at the last mile. 

Localising multi-hazard early warning systems fosters community ownership, which in turn builds trust in warning institutions and increases the likelihood of timely and effective response. To better understand and strengthen this trust, the Community Trust Index, developed by the IFRC, was recently piloted in Mozambique and Nepal. The tool is grounded in a people-centred approach and draws directly from community voices and lived experiences. Preliminary findings from the Mozambique pilot highlight strong trust drivers, such as local understanding of risk, while also identifying gaps around transparency, inclusiveness, and participation. Monitoring these factors provides valuable insights for decision-makers seeking to improve early warning services from the perspective of those they are designed to protect. 

Gefra Fulane, Research Coordinator at IFRC, explains why trust is the foundation of effective early warning systems.

During Tropical Cyclone Filippo, Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD), in collaboration with the SADC and the African Union Commission (AUC), successfully used early warning information to trigger anticipatory actions, including activating local emergency operations centres, disseminating alerts, pre-positioning resources, identifying shelters, and relocating people from high-risk areas. This coordinated anticipatory action enabled faster decision-making and reduced exposure ahead of landfall. A joint monitoring workshop took place on 1 December 2025 to assess progress towards the commitment of the EW4All roadmap across all pillars. 

Building on this experience, Mozambique implemented a comprehensive anticipatory action plan ahead of Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi in January 2025. Informed by forecasts from Météo-France La Réunion and official triggers issued by INAM, the government and partners took pre-emptive measures in Angoche and Mogincual districts of Nampula Province, including disseminating early warning messages to 4,106,697 people, activating 39 local disaster risk management committees, and facilitating the evacuation of 780 people to temporary accommodation centres, with a further 7,220 relocating to stay with relatives or host communities. Anticipatory food assistance was also delivered to 780 people in shelters before landfall. 

The activation for Cyclone Dikeledi was strengthened by lessons learned during Cyclone Chido in December 2024, which informed improvements to impact modelling and trigger thresholds. Together, these experiences show how Mozambique’s early warning systems are driving anticipatory action, saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and building resilience before disasters strike. 

In southern Africa, droughts don’t have to mean disaster. The World Food Programme (WFP) is transforming the way we respond to climate challenges with anticipatory action—using forecasts up to 6 months ahead and real-time data to act before a crisis strike.

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