From multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) to all-vulnerability warning systems (AVWS)

Area of Science:

• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Societal Resilience
• Early Warning Systems

Background:

• Disasters stem from vulnerabilities, not just hazards, yet warning systems remain hazard-focused.
• Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) address multiple threats but share the limitation of neglecting vulnerabilities.
• The UN's 'Early Warnings for All' initiative highlights the need for improved warning system approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the limitations of current hazard-focused warning systems, including MHEWS.
• To propose a novel framework, All-Vulnerability Warning Systems (AVWS), to address the vulnerability gap.
• To outline the implications and future work for implementing AVWS.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of existing MHEWS and their limitations regarding vulnerability.
• Conceptualization and proposal of the All-Vulnerability Warning Systems (AVWS) framework.
• Discussion of the social process aspects of warning systems.

Main Results:

• MHEWS, despite their multi-hazard scope, insufficiently address underlying vulnerabilities.
• AVWS is proposed as a complementary system to MHEWS, focusing on diverse human vulnerabilities.
• Effective warning systems must address varying vulnerabilities across different people and similar vulnerabilities across different hazards for the same people.

Conclusions:

• Current early warning systems need a paradigm shift from hazard-centric to vulnerability-centric approaches.
• AVWS offers a new model for warning systems that prioritizes understanding and addressing diverse human vulnerabilities.
• Integrating AVWS principles can enhance disaster preparedness and societal resilience by recognizing the social nature of warnings.