LocationsFiji Advances Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Through National Dialogue on Common Alerting Protocol
July 28, 2026
National Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Workshop and National Dialogue on Fiji’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning System.
Coral Coast, Fiji – The Government of Fiji, through the National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convening a three-day workshop marking an important milestone in Fiji’s efforts to strengthen its national early warning system under the global Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative.
The National Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Workshop and National Dialogue on Fiji’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning System – a key step towards implementing Fiji’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning System Roadmap and strengthening national resilience to climate-related and natural hazards – brought together government agencies, telecommunications providers, broadcasters, technical experts, development partners and key stakeholders.
Supported by the Green Climate Fund, the initiative seeks to enhance Fiji’s capacity to provide timely, accurate and accessible early warning information to communities through improved coordination, interoperable systems and internationally recognised standards.
The workshop builds on recommendations from Fiji’s inaugural CAP workshop conducted under the “Mapping, Assessing and Planning for Comprehensive Multi-Hazard Early Warning Capabilities (MHEWS)” project implemented through the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States initiative.
Over the next three days, participants will discuss the technical, institutional and governance arrangements required to operationalise the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) in Fiji. CAP is an internationally recognised standard that enables emergency alerts to be created once and disseminated simultaneously across multiple communication channels, including SMS, Cell Broadcast, radio, television, websites, mobile applications and social media platforms.
By establishing a coordinated national approach to CAP implementation, Fiji aims to strengthen the consistency, reliability and reach of public warnings across multiple hazards, ensuring that communities receive actionable information when it matters most.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Hon. Mosese Bulitavu.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Hon. Mosese Bulitavu said:
“Fiji continues to face a wide range of hazards, including tropical cyclones, floods, storm surges, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, and emerging technological and environmental risks. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of many of these hazards, the need for effective, timely, and people-centred early warning systems has never been greater. Historical records show that tropical cyclones alone have affected more than 1.8 million people in Fiji over the past decades, causing significant loss of lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, and development gains.”
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Head of Pacific Sub-Regional Office, Gabrielle Emery.
UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Head of Pacific Sub-Regional Office, Gabrielle Emery said:
“When we began this journey several years ago, one of the key areas was we have a very strong system to already work on, but early warnings are not going to result in anything if we do not bring this whole ecosystem together. That means working across the different pillars from risk information to looking at the observations, the forecasting, to looking at how the messages are disseminated. And importantly, how those messages actually turn into action and action of our communities and particularly those of our most risk communities.”
UNDP Pacific Office Deputy Resident Representative, Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov.
UNDP Pacific Office Deputy Resident Representative, Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov said:
“An early warning system is only as effective as the last person it reaches. Our work must be people centred. It must intentionally reach the furthest – remote maritime communities, women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Warnings must be accessible, understandable, and actionable for every Fijian, regardless of where they live, their gender, age or physical ability.”
The workshop is being delivered with specialised technical support from UNDP together with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). International experts will share global best practices and technical guidance on CAP implementation and interoperable warning dissemination systems.
The discussions focus around developing Fiji’s National CAP Profile and National CAP Policy, clarifying institutional roles and responsibilities, reviewing alert approval and dissemination processes, and strengthening inter-agency coordination mechanisms that support end-to-end warning delivery.
The workshop will also examine the institutional and technical arrangements required to establish the NDRMO as Fiji’s national alert aggregation authority, responsible for receiving, coordinating and disseminating multi-hazard alerts across multiple communication platforms.
The workshop is being delivered under Fiji’s Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) project, a Green Climate Fund-supported initiative led by UNDP and the Government of Fiji to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems nationwide. By improving risk information, forecasting, warning dissemination and community preparedness, the project supports Fiji’s commitments under the Sendai Framework, SDG 13 (Climate Action), and the Paris Agreement, ensuring that no one is left behind when disasters strike.
For more information, please contact:
Ashna Kumar, Communications Associate | UNDP Pacific Office | (E) Ashna.kumar@undp.org
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