Change is not a distant threat but a current reality with profound impacts on our environment. From unprecedented weather patterns to more frequent and severe natural disasters, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. In this evolving Climate world, the need for robust public warning systems has never been more critical. These systems are essential for safeguarding lives, protecting people, and ensuring community resilience in the face of growing environmental challenges. This can be implemented to analyze and identify potential weather- and climate-related risks and hazards. It aims to enable early action to save and protect the lives, livelihoods, and assets of people at risk. In this write-up, we explore the changing nature of natural disasters, their impacts and challenges, what a public warning system is, and how this system operates in the face of escalating climate-related changes.

The Changing Nature of Natural Disasters and their Impact

As climate change intensifies, the frequency and severity of natural disasters such as heatwaves, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and droughts are escalating. A report published by the UN in 2016 stated that floods affected 2.3 billion people and killed 157,000 from 1995 to 2015. Another study by the European Environment Agency in the same year warned that if this trend continues, flood events are expected to increase 17 times the current average by 2080 in Europe alone. As another example, during 2020, the Atlantic Hurricane Season ended up being extremely active, setting a record with 30 named storms and tragically resulting in 416 deaths. Reports like these highlight the impact natural disasters can have on populations across the globe.

These changes highlight the urgent need for effective early warning systems. Currently, only half of the world’s countries have access to multi-hazard early warning systems, even though the number of disasters has increased five-fold over the past 50 years. Traditional methods may no longer suffice; we need systems that are timely, accurate, and capable of reaching diverse populations quickly and effectively.

According to the report of the WMO (World Meteorological Organization), there are several challenges faced by communities that necessitate the implementation of a robust public warning system:

• The damage caused by a disaster can be reduced by 30% if an early warning is issued within 24 hours.
• About 30% of the global population are not yet covered by early warning systems.
• On average, from 1970-2019, a weather, climate or water-related disaster has occurred every day.
• The number of disasters has increased five-fold over a 50-year period (19070-2019).
• 50% of all disasters recorded over a 50-year period were related to weather, climate, and water hazards.
• Globally, we could avoid losses of US $3-16 billion per year through early warning systems.

What is a Public Warning System and How Does it Work?

A Public Warning System (PWS) is a critical platform designed to alert communities about impending hazards and enable timely preparation to minimize potential disruption and damage. These systems are most effective when they promptly identify and communicate threats, allowing for rapid response and action.

The range of hazards that a system might address is extensive, encompassing both weather-related phenomena such as cyclones, storms, floods, and tsunamis, as well as other threats including heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, sand and dust storms, and volcanic eruptions. Additionally, they are crucial in alerting populations about earthquakes, disease outbreaks, technological accidents, and pest infestations.

A Public Warning System is made up of four elements:

1. disaster risk knowledge
2. detection, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting
3. warning dissemination and communication
4. Preparedness and response capabilities

All these elements are equally crucial for reducing the impacts of extreme critical events.

How is a Robust Public Warning System Beneficial during Climate Change?

Public Warning Systems are a proven and feasible means of helping people adapt to climate change by saving lives and livelihoods during extreme weather events, such as increasingly intense and frequent storms and floods. During a disaster, timely and clear communication can mean the difference between life and death. However, not all individuals have equal access to information. Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and non-english speakers, may face barriers in receiving and understanding warnings.

To address these challenges, PertSol offers a unified iAlert- Location Based Public Warning System tailored to effectively meet the requirements of public alert and emergency response teams. It disseminates vital information and alerts during critical situations like climate change-related events, natural disasters, or other emergencies. This platform can deliver real-time notifications to the masses through multiple communication channels, ensuring comprehensive coverage and accessibility. These channels include SMS, SMS-CB (Cell Broadcast), voice calls, TV/Radio broadcasts, social media platforms, sirens, Variable Message Signs (VMS), and more.

This system ensures that alerts reach diverse population segments, including those who might otherwise miss crucial warnings. It is designed to be robust and reliable, capable of operating under various conditions and seamlessly integrating with existing emergency response frameworks. In fact, early warning systems are among the most cost-effective adaptation tools to mitigate deaths and injuries from climate disasters around the world.

The key benefits of the solution include: -

1. Use Multiple Communication Channels: The solution supports and utilizes a variety of communication channels, including text messages, social media, television, radio, and sirens, to reach the widest possible audience.

2. Ensure Multilingual Support: In multilingual communities, warnings should be issued in multiple languages to ensure that everyone can understand and act on the information.

3. Geo-Targeted Alerts: The system enables authorities to focus on specific geographic areas, ranging from small neighborhoods to entire regions. This precision allows for the delivery of alerts exclusively to the populations directly impacted by an incident, ensuring timely and relevant information reaches those who need it most.

4. Rapid Alert Delivery: A key objective is to ensure the swift dissemination of alerts. The system is designed to send messages in real-time or with minimal delay, guaranteeing that recipients promptly receive critical information when it is most needed.

5. Load Balancing & Message Priority: It incorporates advanced load balancing capabilities to detect network congestion and automatically switches to alternative networks for uninterrupted message delivery. It intelligently selects the next available SMSC for SMS and PRI/SIP Trunk for voice messages, ensuring efficient and reliable communication. 

6. Provide Accessible Formats: iAlert ensures that alerts are available in multiple accessible formats to accommodate diverse needs. This includes options such as text, audio, and visual formats, enabling people with varying abilities to receive and understand critical information effectively.

Conclusion
 
Climate change is fundamentally altering the nature and frequency of natural disasters, necessitating a redefinition of our public warning systems. By leveraging advanced technologies, prioritizing communication and accessibility, and engaging communities, we need to use robust systems that protect lives and enhance resilience in the face of an uncertain future. As the impacts of climate change continue to unfold, the importance of effective public warning systems will only grow, making it imperative for governments, disaster management teams, and emergency service providers to invest in and support these critical infrastructures.