Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Disaster Risks

This book presents a collection of papers under the theme of multi-hazard early warning and disaster risks. These were selected from the presentations made at the International Symposium on Tsunami and Multi-Hazard Risks, Early Warning and Community Awareness in supporting implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.  This conference aimed to recognize achievements and to highlight work that still needs to be carried out.  The conference promoted collaboration among academia, research institutions and disaster management offices, and further encouraged multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral interaction

This International Symposium on Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Disaster Risk Reduction provided an important opportunity to reflect upon our progress to date in tackling disaster risk, but also to consider some of the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead of us.

A particular focus of this event wasMulti-Hazard Early Warning. During the negotiations for the Sendai Framework, countries and partners highlighted the need to:

1.       Continue to invest in, develop, maintain and strengthen people-centred, end-to-end early warning systems;

2.       Promote the application of simple and low cost early warning equipment and facilities;

3.       Broaden the dissemination channels for early warning information to facilitate early action.

Countries also called for the further development of and investment in effective, nationally compatible, regional multi-hazard early warning mechanisms. To address these needs, global Target (g) of the Sendai Framework was adopted, namely to “substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to the people by 2030”.

As illustrated by recent events in Indonesia, it is also vital to address the challenge of cascading hazards that pose a tsunami risk, and the importance of linking tsunami early warning to a multi-hazard environment. However, moving towards a multi-hazard environment is complex and poses many challenges but can bring significant benefits in terms of efficiencies and also in recognising the links between hazards, such as cascading threats.  We very much hope that this book  will provide an important platform to address these and other challenges in addressing disaster risk, as well as supporting implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction