Ethiopia has transformed its previously fragmented early warning systems into a comprehensive Multi-Hazard, Impact-Based Early Warning and Early Action System (MH-IB-EWEAS) through its 2023–2030 Roadmap. The system, led by the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC), implements an integrated, anticipatory approach to multiple hazards—including droughts, floods, landslides, and other climate extremes—moving beyond reactive crisis management to proactive early action that combines traditional knowledge with modern technology. Key components include coordination through the National Early Warning Technical Working Group, regional Anticipatory Action Plans for drought-prone areas, hazard monitoring, risk assessment, warning communication, and community-based early warning mechanisms reaching vulnerable populations. Ethiopia, one of 30 priority countries under the global Early Warnings for All initiative, has designed MH-IB-EWEAS to protect 24 million people affected by climate hazards, improve preparedness at the local and regional levels, strengthen institutional coordination, and ensure timely, actionable warnings. By integrating scientific data, indigenous knowledge, and participatory approaches, the system enhances resilience, reduces disaster impacts, and represents a significant step toward proactive, multi-hazard disaster risk management aligned with international frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
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Ethiopia Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Community Resilience System
General Information
ISIG
integrated and anticipatory approach to multiple hazards, combining traditional knowledge and modern technology
Ethiopia faces severe climate-related hazards with prolonged droughts affecting 24 million people and floods impacting 250,000 annually, causing $200 million in infrastructure damage. Previous systems developed over 50 years were fragmented with inadequate funding and reactive approaches. The 2024 Geze Gofa landslides claiming 300+ lives highlighted gaps in geohazard warnings. These challenges prompted development of unified multi-hazard system aligned with Sendai Framework and Africa's Agenda 2063.
Needs Addressed
The system addresses fragmentation with multiple uncoordinated warning systems, inadequate funding limiting coverage and maintenance, focus on crisis response rather than prevention, limited community engagement and local capacity, gaps in geohazard monitoring particularly landslides, and challenges reaching rural populations with timely warnings. Ethiopia's diverse topography from highlands to lowlands creates varied risk profiles requiring integrated multi-hazard approach.
Smallholder farmers and pastoralists in drought-prone regions face extreme vulnerability to climate shocks. Women-headed households particularly affected - 200 prioritized for support following Geze Gofa landslides. Children in flood-prone areas miss school during disasters. System uses gender-sensitive risk assessments and ensures warning dissemination through multiple channels including local languages to reach isolated communities.
EDRMC provides national coordination while implementation occurs through regional Disaster Risk Management offices and woreda (district) level structures. National Early Warning Technical Working Group coordinates across sectors including meteorology, agriculture, water resources, and health. Regional Technical Working Groups established in Somali, Oromia, and southern regions. Community-based committees link formal systems with traditional governance structures for local early action.
Ethiopia's organized response includes National Disaster Risk Management Policy and Strategy, Multi-Hazard Contingency Plans at national and regional levels, Anticipatory Action Plans for drought in Somali region with WFP support, and integration with Productive Safety Net Programme covering 8 million people. Early Action Protocols developed with Red Cross enable pre-positioned resources. However, capacity gaps remain at local levels for implementation.
Basic infrastructure includes weather stations operated by Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, though coverage remains limited in remote areas. National Multi-Hazards Emergency Operation Center established but lacks adequate equipment. Community-based monitoring relies on traditional indicators and mobile phones. UNDP supporting automatic weather station installations and maintenance training. Significant gaps in geohazard monitoring infrastructure highlighted by recent landslide disasters.
Engagement aims to bridge gap between technical forecasts and community action through participatory risk assessments, integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific data, building local capacity for hazard monitoring and response, and ensuring warnings reach last mile in appropriate formats and languages. Focus on empowering communities as first responders while strengthening linkages to formal systems.
Participatory risk mapping which accounts for local and indigenous knowledge; training of community volunteers and leaders for early warning; radio programs in local languages on forecasts; mobile sms alerts for farmers who register to the program; incorporation in local governance structures and social networks, such as regular woreda-level stakeholder meetings and community-based disaster risk management committees established at kebele level; school programs on risk warning, identification, prevention and management.
Communities provide input through participatory assessments integrated into district planning. Traditional indicators incorporated into monitoring systems. Community committees influence local resource allocation for preparedness. However, strategic decisions on system design remain centralized. Regional Technical Working Groups creating space for greater local influence on anticipatory action protocols adapted to specific contexts.
System builds resilience through training local government staff on risk-informed planning, developing community facilitators for disaster preparedness, integrating climate adaptation into development planning, strengthening farmer organizations for collective action, and promoting climate-smart agriculture practices. Focus on institutional capacity ensures sustainability beyond project cycles, creating culture of prevention rather than reactive response.
Hazard Type
Geographical Scope - Nuts
Geographical Scope
Population Size
Population Density
Governance
Emergency Preparedness
Infrastructure Readiness
Engagement Level
Empowerment Level
Implementation
Impact-based forecasting translates weather data into sectoral consequences for agriculture, health, and infrastructure. Forecast-based financing enables release of funds before disasters strike. Integration of multiple hazards in single platform avoids duplication. Anticipatory Action Plans trigger pre-agreed activities at specific thresholds. Gender-sensitive vulnerability assessments ensure inclusive preparedness. Combination of scientific forecasting with indigenous knowledge creates locally relevant warnings.
Amharic, Oromo, Tigrigna, Somali, English, and other local regional languages
Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC)
EDRMC established as dedicated national institution with mandate for coordinating disaster risk management across Ethiopia. Manages annual humanitarian response reaching millions affected by droughts and floods. Coordinates with UN agencies, NGOs, and development partners. Recent leadership in developing Africa's first impact-based early warning roadmap positions Ethiopia as regional leader despite implementation challenges.
Among the many actors involved the main is EDRMC (for National coordination), followed, at the National level, by the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Regional DRM Bureaus, the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (supported by the Netherlands Red Cross supporting participatory action). At the local level, NGOs and farmer cooperatives collaborate for implementation and dissemination. At the supranational level, UN agencies (UNDP, WFP and UNDRR) and the World Bank (through resilience project) also collaborate to the program.
Development of MH-IB-EWEAS Roadmap 2023-2030 through stakeholder consultations. Establishment of National Early Warning Technical Working Group. Risk knowledge workshops identifying gaps and priorities. Pilot Anticipatory Action Plans in high-risk regions starting Somali. Capacity building for regional and woreda DRM offices. Installation of monitoring equipment in gap areas. Community mobilization and training. Integration with existing social protection systems. Regular review and adaptation based on lessons learned.
Human resources include technical specialists for forecasting and risk assessment, community facilitators and volunteers, coordination staff at multiple levels. Financial requirements combine government budget, $13 million Green Climate Fund secured by UNDP, humanitarian and development partner contributions. Technical needs encompass weather monitoring equipment, communication systems, risk modeling software, and training materials adapted to local contexts.
Roadmap spans 2023-2030 with phased implementation. Initial phase 2023-2024 focused on institutional setup and pilot regions. Expansion phase 2025-2027 scaling to all high-risk areas. Consolidation phase 2028-2030 ensuring sustainability. Annual planning cycles aligned with seasonal calendars. Specific milestones include operationalizing situation rooms, achieving 80% population coverage, and establishing sustainable financing mechanisms.
Experience of the Implementing Organisation in DRM
Target Audience
Resources Required
Timeframe & Phases
Participation Results
Limited technical capacity addressed through sustained training programs and south-south learning exchanges. Funding gaps partially filled through innovative Green Climate Fund proposal. Coordination challenges between sectors improved through Technical Working Group regular meetings. Language and literacy barriers overcome using visual communication and radio broadcasts. Resistance to shifting from reactive to proactive approaches addressed through demonstrating cost-effectiveness of early action.
Multi-hazard strategy addresses compound risks of simultaneous droughts and floods, cascading impacts on food security and displacement. Technology failure risks mitigated through combining modern and traditional monitoring. Political transitions managed through institutionalizing system in law and policy. Climate uncertainty addressed through flexible thresholds and adaptive management. Community fatigue prevented through demonstrating tangible benefits of early action.
Risk & Mitigation Plan
Scalability and Sustainability
Sustainability achieved through embedding in national policy and law, linking to regular government budget cycles, integrating with climate finance mechanisms, building local government capacity for ownership, and creating community demand for services. Roadmap costed implementation plan ensures realistic resource mobilization. Institutional arrangements through EDRMC provide continuity across political changes.
Model applicable across Africa facing similar multi-hazard risks. Core components of risk knowledge, monitoring, warning dissemination, and preparedness universal while specific hazards and institutional arrangements adapted locally. Ethiopia's approach influences African Union's AMHEWAS program. Lessons on integrating traditional knowledge relevant for indigenous communities globally. Anticipatory action protocols tested in Ethiopia being replicated in neighboring countries.
Limited but growing technology adoption includes automatic weather stations in strategic locations, mobile phone-based warning dissemination reaching registered users, GIS-based risk mapping and vulnerability assessments, and satellite data for drought monitoring. Innovation focuses on appropriate technology for resource-constrained contexts. Future plans include IoT sensors for river monitoring
Roadmap implementation estimated at $50 million over 8 years. The breakdown is: $3 million for institutional strengthening; $5 million for the monitoring infrastructure; $4 million for community capacity building; $1 million of coordination costs. The Green Climate Fund provides $13 million for the initial phase, focusing on climate-related hazards.
Annual operational costs include staff salaries across national, regional, and woreda levels approximately $8 million, equipment maintenance and communication $2 million, regular training and capacity building $1 million, and early action fund replenishment $5 million. Integration with existing government structures reduces additional operational burden.
Success requires strong government leadership with multi-stakeholder engagement. Impact-based approach more effective than hazard-focused warnings alone. Community-level capacity essential for last-mile effectiveness. Integration with existing systems like safety nets increases sustainability. Flexible funding mechanisms critical for early action. Gender-sensitive approaches improve overall system effectiveness. Continuous learning and adaptation necessary as risks evolve with climate change.