From risk knowledge to early action: Back-to-back trainings strengthen EW4All implementation for Somalia and the Horn of Africa
UNDRR supported a week of back-to-back capacity-building engagements to help national stakeholders move from risk information to actionable early warnings and anticipatory action, a critical step in accelerating Early Warnings for All (EW4All) in fragile and high-risk contexts.
Across three linked workshops, participants strengthened the technical and institutional building blocks needed for effective multi-hazard early warning systems starting with multi-hazard risk assessment, advancing impact-based forecasting, and deepening the practical use of risk knowledge to shape targeted warning messages and trigger early actions.
Why this matters: risk knowledge is the foundation of early warning
Strengthening early warning systems requires more than forecasts. It depends on connecting hazard information with exposure and vulnerability, so warnings are specific, trusted, and linked to preparedness and early action. This is especially important for reaching vulnerable groups with context-appropriate messages and ensuring warnings translate into decisions.
One learning journey, three connected engagements
1) Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment (MHRA) for Early Warning & Anticipatory Action | 3-4 November 2025
This training introduced participants to the core building blocks of MHRA hazard, exposure, vulnerability, capacity, and risk and how risk information can be applied across scales for early warning and planning. It emphasized national ownership, data ecosystems, and practical exercises (including impact chains, hazard triggers, and GIS/open-source tools).
The course also presented a pathway for deeper learning through an optional online follow-up (November-December 2025), including applied exercises using globally available datasets and open tools, leading to a certificate with credit points.
2) Regional Training on Impact-Based Forecasting (IBF) for Early Action | 5-6 November 2025
Building on risk assessment foundations, the IBF training focused on helping national stakeholders develop, implement, and sustain IBF services that directly support Anticipatory Action, bridging the gap between "what the weather will be" and "what it will do."
The training brought together a co-production approach among producers, intermediaries, and users of weather/climate services across Sudan, Somalia, Comoros, and Djibouti, supported by technical collaboration with partners including WMO and ICPAC.
Key modules covered: risk and impact assessment, production of IBF products, communication and dissemination (including for displaced and vulnerable groups), and post-event review to continuously improve warning services.
3) National Risk Knowledge Technical Workshop for Somalia | 7-8 November 2025
The week culminated with a dedicated workshop for Somalia on the use of risk knowledge in Early Warning and Early Action (EWEA).
Building on the Handbook on the use of Risk Knowledge for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and the Inclusive Early Warning Early Action: Checklist and Implementation Guide, the workshop focused on strengthening participants' ability to collect, analyze, and apply risk information, foster inclusive stakeholder collaboration, leverage technology for analysis and communication, and integrate risk information into trigger mechanisms for early action.
Sessions covered practical steps such as moving from hazard information to exposure characterization, scenario construction, targeted warning messaging, and linking risk knowledge to IBF and anticipatory action processes.
Road ahead: turning capacity into sustained systems
Together, the three engagements advanced a common direction: stronger data ecosystems and shared approaches to risk profiling, clearer institutional pathways to convert risk knowledge into warnings, and more people-centred communication that supports real-time decision-making and early action.
This work directly supports the ambition of EW4All to accelerate progress across the pillars of early warning systems starting with risk knowledge and ensuring it translates into action.