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Early Warning for All
EW4ALL - Antigua and Barbuda
Strengthening Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilience
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Background
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved US$103.2 million in grant financing to scale up life-saving early warning systems in seven of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the five-year project will bolster multi-hazard early warning systems in Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Chad, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, and Somalia, and directly benefit more than 26 million people.
With a total budget of $114.6 million – including $11.3 million in co-financing from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and national governments – the initiative will improve risk assessment, enhance forecasting capabilities, and ensure that critical early warnings reach the most remote and at-risk communities.
Antigua and Barbuda, a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), ranks 5th on the 2023 World Risk Index, reflecting its extreme vulnerability to climate change. Intensifying hazards like hurricanes, extreme rainfall, droughts and rising sea levels threaten lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. The islands’ low-lying topography, limited land area, and concentration of economic activity along the coast heighten their vulnerability and compound the impacts of these hazards.
Despite efforts to strengthen disaster risk management, key gaps remain in legislation, governance, and technical capacity. Existing disaster management frameworks are outdated and fragmented, limiting the ability of government agencies and communities to anticipate, prepare for, and respond effectively to evolving climate risks. Fiscal constraints further reduce the capacity to maintain critical operations and invest in new systems.
The Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) project has earmarked US$12.5 million for Antigua and Barbuda to address these challenges by establishing an integrated, multi-hazard early warning and anticipatory action system to safeguard communities and strengthen national resilience. Through improved governance, risk knowledge, forecasting, and communication mechanisms, the project will enable timely and reliable warnings, strengthen preparedness at national and community levels, and build long-term resilience to climate change and extreme weather events.
Expected Results
The EW4ALL project aims to:
- Strengthen governance frameworks by updating national disaster management legislation, integrating disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures into sectoral policies, and establishing a Disaster Preparedness and Response Fund to ensure sustainable financing.
- Enhance risk knowledge through comprehensive hazard and risk assessments, with a special focus on Barbuda, and the creation of a national online risk data platform for centralised, accessible information.
- Improve forecasting systems by investing in the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service (ABMS), operationalising a flash flood guidance system, and initiating a regional ocean observation and forecasting system to enable impact-based forecasts.
- Establish robust dissemination mechanisms including a National Emergency Telecommunication Plan and multi-channel communication systems to deliver clear, actionable warnings to all segments of the population.
- Promote community preparedness by scaling community-based early warning systems (CEWS), supporting local contingency planning, training emergency responders, and improving rapid evacuation and shelter capabilities.
These components reinforce one another to create a comprehensive disaster risk management system capable of reducing loss of life, protecting livelihoods, and improving coordination across all sectors.
