Learning from Experience

With the increase in frequency of disasters and better information systems, there is a need and opportunity to improve early warning systems for early action (EWS for EA) to enable World Vision and other agenices to reduce exposure of risks faced by children and their families. A real challenge is the lack of robust evidence on what an effective early warning system looks like at the different levels of action.

One of the main drivers for this review was the 2011 failure of agencies, donors and the international community to prepare and respond to the Horn of Africa drought crisis and famine in Somalia. In order to improve World Vision’s Early Warning Systems (EWS) for Early Action (EA) this highlighted external perspectives and internal and external experts were interviewed during recent EWS and risk reduction meetings, workshops and conferences.