Early Warning Systems Defined - Reducing Disaster: Early Warning Systems for Climate Change - page 94

Box 5.5 Key Elements of an EWS

• Transparency

• Integration

• Human capacity

• Flexibility

• Continuity

• Catalysts/patterns

• Timeliness

Transparency : The process of early warning, and what is and what is not provided,
needs to be explicit and entirely open to media and public scrutiny. It is an open
question whether or not transparency means that all information is provided to
everyone at all times. Providing the general public with raw, unprocessed data with-
out appropriate interpretation or guidance can lead to confusion, misperceptions,
and misapprehensions. While panic is rare, taking the wrong action, however,
rationalised, can be lethal. On the other hand, withholding information can also lead
to confusion, misperceptions, and misapprehensions.
The warnings and responses to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
outbreaks in Hong Kong and Toronto in 2003 demonstrate the problems that can
result with both too little and too much information (Naylor et al. 2004 ). Information
about a disease outbreak in southern China did not reach the Hong Kong authorities
until a few months after authorities in China were informed. Too little and delayed
information hampered an adequate response, promoting the spread of the virus. In
contrast, in Toronto, lack of coordination of health-care providers meant lack of
coordination of information with those responding duplicating efforts to obtain,
record, analyse, and respond to information regarding cases and the virus. Certainly,
transparency means that those with EWS-relevant information need to be prepared
to provide a record of the information that they had and when they had it, in order
to seek constructive feedback for continual improvement, rather than a blame game
and punishment (e.g. Anderson 1969 ).

Integration : An EWS must be integrated into communities and society, so that it
contributes to, rather than interferes with or is separate from, day-to-day life. EWS
as a social process needs to be viewed as a subsystem within larger social and cul-
tural (including economic and political) contexts.

Human capacity : Appropriate staffi ng is mandatory for all EWS, with the expertise
of the personnel commensurate with the vulnerability/vulnerabilities and hazard(s)
of concern.

Flexibility : An EWS needs fl exibility to expand its activities to other vulnerabilities
and other hazards, as and when needed.