2020 Annual Report of the Climate Risk & Early Warning Systems
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FOREWORD
2020 will be remembered as a year that revealed some important truths for a young CREWS Initiative but ones that should embolden us.
COVID-19 did impact our work and timelines. It will continue to do so for some time still. The global travel ban tested our business model. Our national and regional partners, supported by our implementing partners the World Bank/Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) showed resilience and creativity in finding solutions to a new reality. They also took on greater ownership and responsibilities on project activities in a challenging year.
Date Time
Early warning initiative advances in a pandemic
Geneva, 11 May 2021: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated impacts of extreme weather and climate change in vulnerable countries but also highlighted the need to build resilience against a multitude of hazards through better early warnings and risk information.
The report “Progress on Early Warning in a Pandemic” showcased achievements in improved early warnings for flash floods, tropical cyclones, sand and dust storms and drought, as well as better weather forecasts for farmers in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The report was presented by Stéphane Crouzat, France’s Climate Change Ambassador at the Wilton Park dialogue: Risk-informed Early Action Partnership: from commitment to action
Responsible AI for disaster risk management: Working Group summary
Format
01. Introduction
This document is intended to help practitioners and project managers working in disaster risk ensure that the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) in particular, is done in a manner that is both effective and responsible. The content of this report was produced as part of a 6-month interdisciplinary collaboration between experts from intergovernmental organizations, non-profits, academia, and the private sector. While we do not claim to offer the last word on this important topic, we are publishing the results of this collaboration in order to generate further discussion and help advance efforts towards better understanding the role of these technologies in pursuit of a world that is safer, more equitable, and more sustainable. It is our hope that as a product produced through intensive consultation with the community for whom it is written this document will
In October 2019, the IGN FI ( – BRLi consortium was awarded the regional contract to assess hazards, vulnerabilities and risks in the Member States of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). This is the international organisation for the economic, social and cultural development of the following Member States: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Sao Tomé and Principe.
Financed by the European Union within the framework of the ACP-EU programme to strengthen resilience to natural hazards in ECCAS, and managed by the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), this project involved organising a regional workshop held by videoconference on 29 and 30 March 2021. The workshop marks the end of the project.
CNN reporting last week from the RI Convention Center
Last week, in a live broadcast from Providence’s Convention Center, CNN reported the exploding levels of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Rhode Island, as the state achieved the world’s #1 ranking for level of infection, a result that was not unexpected. Governor Raimondo attributed the rising infection rates to her inability to communicate the risks and motivate compliance with health and safety measures, stating at a recent press briefing “I have been utterly ineffective at getting people to follow the rules in their homes.” She is not alone in her frustration as Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker also attributed the dangerous spike in COVID-19 infections to unsafe informal indoor gatherings. “No one wants to be lectured to, and I get that,” Governor Baker said. “But there is a legit cause and effect thing going on here.”