Introduction - Reducing Disaster: Early Warning Systems for Climate Change - page 8

Unfortunately, as Veronica Francesca Grasso illustrates in Chap. 6 , current early
warning systems lack many of these components. Grasso reviews the state of early
warning systems for both rapid-onset hazards and slow-onset hazards, focusing on
the technical needs and agencies involved in monitoring. Even though many early
warning systems are operational worldwide, numerous high-risk countries remain
“uncovered.” Furthermore, out of 86 countries that reported recent progress in early
warning system development, the majority indicated that, “achievements were nei-
ther comprehensive nor substantial” or “recognized limitations in key aspects, such
as fi nancial resources and/or operational capacities.” Frequently reported impedi-
ments to early warning system development include lack of funding; inadequate
coordination between local, national, and regional levels; and lack of human
resources or infrastructure. Most countries report warning systems for single haz-
ards, particularly fl oods and cyclone or hurricanes. Only few countries have early
warning systems for droughts, fi res, famines, or heat waves.
Nevertheless, great strides have been made in developing, or improving, early
warning systems in countries such as Bangladesh, Cuba, and France (Golnaraghi
2012 ). Aspects that have contributed to success are described below.
Chapters 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11 provide detailed examples of early warning systems
for wildfi res, dust storms, and fl oods, while aspects of early warning systems
that need greater consideration - including communication, the role of gender and
ethics - form the focus of Chaps. 12 , 13 , 14 , and 15 .

1.5 Examples of Early Warning Systems

Fires currently burn 330-431 million ha of global vegetation each year, mainly in
tropical grasslands and savannahs. Climate change is expected to increase both fi re
occurrence and area burned, particularly in boreal forests, due to warmer conditions
and longer fi re seasons. Fire early warning systems are based on fi re danger ratings.
They can be used to provide both short-term and longer-term warnings, and can
help identify levels of resources that should be mobilized in emergencies. Currently
less than half the countries in the world have national fi re danger rating systems. Yet
clear examples of best practice exist, such as the Canadian Forest Fire Weather
Index. In Chap. 7 , William de Groot and Michael Flannigan describe progress
toward developing a global early warning system for wildland fi res. Both the sci-
ence and institutional structures necessary for fi re early warning are well developed,
indicating that this should be a hazard against which the world is well protected.
By contrast, scientifi c understanding of dust storms, and early warning systems
to protect against these, are less well developed. Dust storms emit an estimated
2,000 teragrams of dust per year (Tg/year). In parts of Japan, dust storms can occur
on more than 300 days a year (MoE 2008 ). As Lindsey Harriman describes in Chap. 8 ,
efforts have been made to increase the accuracy and length of dust storm forecasts.
But the impacts of dust storms may occur far from the cause. This creates chal-
lenges for both dust storm mitigation and early warning systems. Coordinating early