WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
AND
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION
FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
FOR PARTICIPANTS ONLY
WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones
Thirty-fifth session
Manama, Bahrain
5 to 9 May 2008
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WRD/PTC.35/Doc. 8
(4.IV.2008)
ENGLISH ONLY
REVIEW OF THE COORDINATED TECHNICAL PLAN AND
CONSIDERATION OF THE WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
(Agenda item 8.3)
(Submitted by the WMO Secretariat)
8.3
Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Component
8.3.1
Renaming of the WMO Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Programme to
WMO Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programme
Considering that the name “Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Programme” (i) did
not adequately reflect the role of WMO and NMHSs in all components of disaster risk reduction
and (ii) was not in alignment with the international terminology, Congress XV (2007) changed the
name of the WMO Programme to “Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programme”.
8.3.2
Assessment of WMO Members’ Capacities, Gaps and Needs in Disaster Risk
Reduction
As a benchmark, in late 2006, a survey was conducted by WMO, in which 139 of the 187
Member countries (74%) provided critical information about key hazards impacting them, as well
as their disaster risk reduction capacities, gaps and needs related to: (i) governance, (ii)
organizational coordination, (iii) technical and (iv) capacity-development and training. The analysis
has been carried out in detail for different groupings of countries (i.e. global, developing countries,
least developed countries, regions and economic grouping), and constituted the basis for launching
national and regional projects in partnership with ISDR, WFP and the World Bank. An extensive
report on the survey outcomes will be published in second quarter of 2008.
8.3.3
A New WMO DRR Capacity Development Action Plan
During the Second World Conference on Disaster Reduction (Hyogo, Kobe, Japan, 18-22
January 2005), 168 countries adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA).
According to HFA, decision processes in disaster risk reduction fall under three categories (i) risk
identification, which involves development of risk knowledge needed for development of strategies
and measures for reducing the risks; (ii) risk reduction, involving: medium to long term sectoral
planning, emergency preparedness and early warning systems, disaster response, relief and
recovery; (iii) risk transfer, involving catastrophe insurance and other financial risk transfer
mechanisms that would enable spreading of remaining risks to minimize impacts across sectors.
These areas of decision making are served by different ministries and agencies at the national
level, and by different agencies at the regional and international levels. Furthermore, each of these
three elements needs to be supported by appropriate governance, organizational coordination and
knowledge sharing mechanisms.
In June 2007, Congress XV adopted WMO Strategic Goals in disaster risk reduction,
derived from key activities of the Hyogo Framework for Action falling under the mandate of
NMHSs. Furthermore, a sustainable DRR integrated capacity development action plan was
WRD/PTC.35/Doc. 8, p. 2
approved, based on Members’ needs that were not currently addressed by ongoing activities and
built upon the following five major thrusts: (i) modernization of NMHSs and observing networks;
(ii) implementation of national operational multi-hazard early warning systems; (iii) strengthening of
hazard analysis and hydrometeorological risk assessment tools; (iv) strengthening NMHSs
cooperation with civil protection and disaster risk management agencies; and (v) coordinated
training and public outreach programmes. This action plan is built upon priority areas of the WMO
Strategic Plan 2008 – 2011 and is being implemented through concrete regional and national
projects.
8.3.4
Leveraging Members and Partner Agencies’ Capacities
Strengthening of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems
for
Development
and
Following EWC-III, with the commitment to advance the second priority area of the Hyogo
Framework for Action, namely “identifying, assessing and monitoring disaster risks and enhancing early
warnings”, WMO assembled experts from 20 agencies involved in the four components of early warning
systems for the international Symposium on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems for Integrated
Disaster Risk Management, from 23 to 24 May 2006. The experts identified major gaps and needs
concerning governance, legislative, organizational and technical aspects related to the four components
of early warning systems: (i) risk identification and linkages to early warnings; (ii) technical and
operational capacities for observing, detecting, monitoring, forecasting and warnings of hazards; (iii)
communication and dissemination mechanisms; and (iv) integration of risk information and early
warnings in emergency preparedness, planning and response.
The Symposium recommended that good practices be documented to demonstrate the benefits
that can be achieved through an increased integration of National Meteorological and Hydrological
Service warning and related services in emergency preparedness, response, recovery planning and
operational processes. Demonstration projects have already been initiated with France and China
(Shanghai) to demonstrate and document good practices where early warning systems are supported
by appropriate governance and legislation, organizational coordination mechanisms and operational
frameworks. The expert meeting on "Role of NMHSs in DRR Coordination Mechanisms and Early
Warning Systems" provided a common framework for documentation of operational processes at the
national level. As a next step, the Second Symposium on Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems is
planned for the first quarter of 2009, to be hosted by Météo-France in Toulouse, to share lessons
learned about multi-hazard early warning systems and launch pilot projects in developing countries,
together with agencies involved in all aspects from observing to community preparedness.
On this basis, WMO in now initiating demonstration projects in selected countries, leveraging
capacities, resources and expertise from several technical and donor agencies for development of
multi-hazard early warning systems. The first coordination meeting for Central America took place in
January 2008 in New Orleans.
8.3.5
Tsunami early warning systems
WMO participated in intergovernmental coordination groups for tsunami warning systems
established by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO in the four regions at
risk. The WMO Global Telecommunication System (GTS), recognized as the backbone for the
exchange of tsunami-related warnings and information, has been upgraded over years 2006-2007 to
enable dissemination of tsunami advisories from the Japan Meteorological Agency and Pacific Tsunami
Warning and Mitigation System to all the countries of the Indian Ocean Rim within two minutes. These
upgrades have been supported by USA-NOAA (Sri Lanka and Maldives) and Météo-France (Kenya,
Tanzania and Madagascar). For the remaining countries needing upgrades (Bangladesh, Pakistan and
Myanmar), WMO conducted the upgrades with funds from the ISDR Tsunami Flash Appeal.
8.3.6
Cyclone Forecasts and Warnings to the Emergency Preparedness and Operations at the
National Level
Through the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme, significant efforts are underway to link early
detection and warnings of tropical cyclones and related hazards to emergency preparedness and
operations at the national level.
WRD/PTC.35/Doc. 8, p. 3
There are a number of good practices in which warnings of tropical cyclone and related hazards
issued by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are integrated into emergency
preparedness and response planning and operations, supported by governance, legislation and
organizational mechanisms, from local to national levels. Through the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical
Cyclones, these good practices may be identified and documented with assistance of the WMO
Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, and shared among all National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services in countries at risk to tropical cyclones and related hazards.
8.3.7
Towards Timely, Understandable and Easily Accessible Tropical Cyclone and Related
Hazards Warnings for Enhanced Decision-Making
Warnings of tropical cyclones, storm surge, coastal floods and tides usually are decentralized,
falling under the responsibilities of different agencies at national level. The decentralization of
information presents significant challenges to decision-makers to assess risks associated with
situations where tropical cyclone lead to storm surge, tides and coastal flooding. To this end, in some
countries, National Meteorological Services, together with other technical agencies (e.g. hydrological
services, ocean services), have combined their information into information portals to facilitate access
by the decision-makers and emergency operators. Based on lessons learned through those good
practices, close collaboration among these agencies could be strengthened to ensure that information
is available, authoritative, timely, understandable, and easily accessible for emergency operators and
decision makers.
8.3.8
Strengthened Integration of Tropical Cyclone and Related Hazards Information and
Forecasts for Regional and International Humanitarian Response and Contingency
Planning
The ongoing United Nations Humanitarian Reform is shifting the paradigm of disaster risk
reduction from post-disaster response and recovery towards a more balanced approach with stronger
emphasize on prevention and preparedness. In this regard, the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) is responsible for the coordination of humanitarian activities when international attention
is needed to assist countries in disaster situations, and facilitates information to all potential actors for
emergency response and preventive measures when hazards are detected and forecasted. Their
contingency planning is based on development of risk scenarios, to ensure their timely response when
a country seeks assistance and before the disaster affects communication means.
Currently, many of those agencies are not directly linked to the network of National
Meteorological and Hydrological Services (i.e. access to official warnings) and Regional Specialized
Meteorological Centres (i.e. access to specialized forecasts and bulletins). In many cases, they
primarily rely on information sources such as international media and miscellaneous academic websites
to develop their risk scenarios and contingency plans. Through strengthened partnerships with National
Meteorological and Hydrological Services and tropical cyclone Regional Specialized Meteorological
Centres, regional and international humanitarian agencies could systematically benefit from more timely
and reliable information from the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme network. Furthermore, through
proactive participation of these agencies in the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, regional
operational plans in support of humanitarian contingency planning and response could be considered,
based on better understanding of these agencies' requirements.
Such linkages could be implemented through a network of focal points within these agencies,
Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres and WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, with
support from Tropical Cyclone Programme, DPM Programme Office, and other relevant Programmes
Departments within WMO Secretariat.
8.3.9
Contributions to the Development Tropical Cyclone-related Risk Information
Risk identification, involving combination of hazard, vulnerability and exposure, provides the
evidence base for disaster risk management applications and decision-making. The preliminary studies
of the Global Risk Identification Programme (GRIP), led by UNDP, have identified that many disaster
databases exist (e.g. Em-Dat from OFDA/CRED, NatCat from Munich-Re, Sigma from SwissRe,
Desinventar from LaRed, and several national databases). Those could be significantly optimized if
WRD/PTC.35/Doc. 8, p. 4
standardized methodologies for hazard cataloguing, and common standards for identification of the
events and for metadata, were available and utilized.
In 2003 and 2004, the WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme participated in the development of
the global unique disaster identifier number (GLIDE), an initiative of ADRC involving a number of
agencies. This identifier has been developed to facilitate quality management of databases, avoiding
duplicates, enabling inter-operability and linking hazard events with the related disasters, across
national borders. The use of this GLIDE number in all databases is intended to provide extended
analysis capacities, including relations between hazard events characteristics and their related impacts.
Programmes such as GRIP are considering adoption of GLIDE for standardization of disaster
loss data. The WMO Tropical Cyclone Programme, in collaboration with the Joint WMO-IOC Technical
Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) and the Commission for Hydrology
(CHy), together with DPM Programme Office, could facilitate participation of Regional Specialized
Meteorological Centres and NMHSs involved in analyzing, forecasting and warning of tropical cyclones
and related hazards such as storm surge, coastal and riverine flooding in lowland areas, and tide, in the
GRIP initiative, for enhancing these global disaster loss databases, particularly trough better
cataloguing of hazard information.
This hazard information would be a critical input into the Disaster Risk Reduction Global
Assessment Report, being produced through joint efforts of agencies of the ISDR System. In this
regard, WMO is leading expert consultations, with the view to identify methodologies for improving
global hazard datasets for floods, drought, tropical cyclones and related storm surges.
The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones could contribute through development of
methodologies and tools for standardization of hazard databases and metadata for tropical cyclones
and related hazards (e.g. storm surge), mapping and analysis as well as supporting national risk
identification projects.
8.3.10 Training and Capacity Development to Ensure Effective Utilization of Tropical Cyclone
Warnings in Operational Emergency Preparedness and Response Activities
In many countries where tropical cyclone warnings have been effectively integrated in
emergency preparedness and response operations, interdisciplinary training curricula between
operational forecasters of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and operational response
staff have been developed. Through the Assessment of WMO Members’ Capacities, Gaps and Needs
in Disaster Risk Reduction carried out in 2006, many NMHSs indicated that they could benefit from
these curricula to enhance their partnerships with emergency planning and response structures.
The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones could assist WMO with compilation of these
curricula and development of training programmes, which could benefit those Members of WMO
through interdisciplinary training workshops and activities.
8.3.11 An Integrated Regional Approach to strengthening Early Warning System with MultiHazard Approach
Through efforts of the International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR) System
partners, progress is underway for implementation of Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) at the national
and regional levels. An important component of HFA is development of national and regional capacities
for risk assessment and early warning system. WMO, together with other key partners are initiating
regional cooperation projects with strong national component to build such capacities leveraging
various resources and expertise of different partners. Within the WMO network, the activities of WMOESCAP Tropical Cyclone Committee and the RA II regional working group on DRR could be leveraged.
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