The Relevance of Early-Warning Systems and Evacuation Plans for Risk Management

Early-Warning Systems (EWS) include the provision of timely and effective information, through identified institutions, that allows individuals exposed to hazard to take action in order to avoid or reduce risk and prepare for effective response. EWS are extensive frameworks that integrate different components of risk governance and disaster risk reduction policies with the main purpose of minimizing loss of life and reducing the economic and social impact of a threatening event on the physical assets and populations exposed to hazards. This section describes and analyzes different types of EWS with the aim to connect scientific advances in hazard and risk assessment with management (emergency preparedness and response) strategies and practical demands of stakeholders and end-users. Besides a structural approach, an Integrated People-Centred EWS (IEWS) is also presented. The system is mainly based on prevention as a key element for disaster risk reduction and aims not only to increase the level of awareness and preparedness of the community and decrease its vulnerability, but also to strengthen institutional collaboration, in particular at a local level, in order to assure sustainability of the efforts in the long term and to strength the risk governance process. In this way, the whole disaster cycle can be covered, trying to apply the most advanced technology available and also making the solutions easier to use by people not accustomed to manage these techniques in their daily tasks.