African Countries

Early Warning and Early Action Capacity Building in Africa.

A well-functioning early warning and early action system has proven to be one of the most effective ways to combat disaster impacts by protecting lives and livelihoods, reducing loss and damage, preventing displacement, and reducing humanitarian needs. This is well reflected in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Target G of the Sendai Framework aims to “substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030”. Priority 4 of the Framework calls on all countries to invest in, develop, maintain and strengthen people-centered multi-hazard, multisectoral forecasting and early warning systems, disaster risk and emergency communications mechanisms, social technologies, and hazard-monitoring telecommunications systems.

However, in the General Assembly Political Declaration of the midterm review of the Sendai Framework, Member States expressed deep concern that coverage of and accessibility to multi-hazard early warning systems remains inadequate, especially in Africa and committed to promoting the further development of and investment in effective local, national and regional multi-hazard early warning mechanisms that lead to early action. Currently, only 45 per cent of countries in Africa report the existence of such systems, according to UNDRR’s 2023 report on the Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems.

The Early Warning for All (EW4All) Multi-Stakeholder Forum held in Namibia on 21 October back-to-back with the Ninth Session of the Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, call for an acceleration in the implementation of EW4ALL in Africa, called for an improved coordination and collaboration among from government institutions, UN and IGOs, and stakeholders from financial, academic, civil society, youth, persons with disabilities and the private sectors, for ensuring inclusive, people-centered and end-to-end Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems. The forum remarked the need to increase national investments in early warnings, supporting the use of technologies for improving access and use of risk information, foster innovation and increase capacities of national institutions leveraging on regional and continental organizations.

Climate forecasts and alerts are not sufficient when implemented alone. Early warnings must be merged with risk information to ensure advisories target the most vulnerable and are impact-based. They must also be accompanied by an effective governance and coordination structure, with the necessary political support, to bring hydro-meteorological and disaster management actors together with key sectors (i.e., water, agriculture, transport) for more timely, efficient, and impactful early action. Alerts and bulletins must be easily understandable and provide clear and actionable guidance for decision-makers. This approach is at the heart of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNDRR) support to Member States in improving Early Warning and Early Actions.

This programme will contribute to “Disaster Risk Reduction Capacity Building in Africa” programme, which is implemented in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) and to “Building Resilience and Improving Institutional Capacity in Indian Ocean Island States for Disaster Risk Reduction” financed 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Indicative Programme – Specific IOC Envelope by The European Commission.

This programme will leave a legacy of in-house capacity in Africa to effectively collect, exchange, and analyse DRR data and information for impact-based early warning systems, early action, and transboundary risk management. It is building resident capacities at continental, regional, and national levels needed to ensure the established system is self-sufficient beyond the programme duration. It will focus on sustainability through regional and national ownership and building resident African capacity to take the programme forward.

At the continental level, this programme will support the AUC and the AMHEWAS to further strengthen the network of continental, regional and national situation rooms. This includes trainings on the use of myDEWETRA, the open-source platform that allows for the integration of products, including global models to perform real-time monitoring and forecasting of natural hazards, and the co-production of impact-based early warning products like the generation of impact-based forecast bulletins. It will also further improve AMHEWAS coordination and produce new risk information for early warning and anticipatory actions while also building the capacity of national authorities to effectively apply the tools and information produced by AMHEWAS.

At the national level, this programme will also support the AMHEWAS goal to further scale down at the national level, based on the successful experience of the situation room in Tanzania. This will be achieved by rolling out simulation exercises to test the use of risk information products in early warning and improve national coordination mechanism for early action in three additional countries. Simulation exercises help prepare stakeholders and allow for stress testing plans and systems for effective response. Systems, early action procedures, activation of early action at national and local level, contingency plans, early response mechanisms, and equipment are tested in these exercises. Improvements are made in preparedness capacities based on the results. The focus of these activities will be in Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, and Zambia. These countries have requested technical assistance on early warning and early action. With this expressed commitment, these countries are well positioned to be able to benefit from the technical support offered to develop resident capacity to establish early warning and action systems that are self-sufficient beyond the programme duration and linked to the AMHEWAS.

This programme will also have a specific focus on Mauritius and Seychelles as part of the “Building Resilience and Improving Institutional Capacity in Indian Ocean Island States for Disaster Risk Reduction.” In particular, the programme will strength collaboration and risk information exchange with SADC Humanitarian Emergency Operation Centre, the SADC Climate Centre, IOC commission, the Regional Specialized Meteorological Services for Cyclone (La Reunion) and extreme weather (Pretoria). The programme will customization an open-source EWS platform myDEWETRA to the needs of Mauritius and Seychelles, integrates global, national, and local hazard, exposure and vulnerability data and look at standardizing and co-production of alerts to develop bulletins. Capacity building to National Disaster Risk Management Authorities, Meteorological and Hydrological Services through training and simulation exercise will be provided to enhance technical skills in producing early warnings and test the new system, including connection with AMHEWAS, i.e., SHOC.

Purpose

This grant will support the African Union Commission and the Regional Economic Communities to strength AMHEWAS programme and to increase capacities of national institutions and stakeholders of Angola, Cote D’Ivoire, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zambia to operate effective impact-based early warning and early action systems.

Outcome

By enhancing access to technology and risk information, and by strengthening the AMHEWAS programme, national disaster risk management authorities and hydrometeorological services will improve their coordination and capacity to use risk information for timely, impact-based early warnings, as well as early and anticipatory action. As a result, African countries will become less dependent on international support to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disasters caused by natural hazards and the impacts of climate change.

Outputs and suggested activities

Output 1: AMHEWAS advisories and bulletins are improved for drought impact-based monitoring, and AMHEWAS early warning capabilities are strengthened and extended to new hazards by 30 June 2026 (90,000 USD MAX)

• Technical and scientific assistance to AUC and Regional Economic Communities for enhancing the drought continental watch, improving the impact-based forecasts integrating data on exposure, vulnerability, displacement, disability, gender, and at-risk groups.
• Technical and scientific assistance for updating existing bulletins and advisories on floods distributed by situation rooms in AUC, ACMAD, and RECs, improving the IBF including experience of the IBF for Flood and drought in the IGAD region and data on exposure, vulnerability, displacement, disability, gender, and at-risk groups.
• New data source and products for monitoring and forecasting relevant hazards (at least 2) in Africa-i.e., Forest fires, landslides, and heatwaves- and data on exposure, vulnerability, displacement, disability, gender, and at-risk groups are integrated into the open-source platform myDEWETRA in use at AMHEWAS.
• Online training materials on AMHEWAS is updated and one online training is organized for REC.

Output 2: Tools and methods for improving and testing resident capacity for Early Warning and Early Action are developed and applied in Angola, Cote Ivorie, Zambia through AMHEWAS by 30 June 2026 (120,000 USD MAX)

• Prepare 1 set of Guidelines for setting up National Situation Room, including functions, design, and development of technical specifications. The guidelines should take stock of the existing Sit Rooms realized under AMHEWAS.
• Preparation of a handbook and all necessary material for designing and rolling-out of simulation exercises in Angola, Cote D’Ivoire and Zambia on the use and integration of AMHEWAS products in national system, with the aim of enabling different agencies and organizations to practice working together, improving coordination and communication and use of AMHEWAS products for Early Warning and Early Action. The handbook will take stock of existing guides and will specifically look at gender integration and vulnerable groups to ensure they are effectively included.
• Organize one in-person Training of Trainers to build the capacity of experts from AUC, REC, and Member of the Network of Centre of Excellence for DRR, to conduct simulation exercise at national or subnational level based on guideline.
• Remote support to AUC, REC, and NOE in the organization of the simulation exercises Angola, Cote D’Ivoire and Zambia, based on the handbook.
• Contribute to online training organized by AUC and RECs for National Situation Room officers and NMHS for knowledge transfer on AMHEWAS products and use of myDEWETRA platform. At least one training per RECS will be organized (4 RECS).

Output 3: Open sources platform for early warning and early action is in operation in Mauritius and Seychelles by 31 December 2025 (125,000 USD MAX)

• Platform Customization: Adapt the myDEWETRA platform for Mauritius and Seychelles, integrating local hazard, exposure, and vulnerability data, integrate regional early warning products and link with AMHEWAS.
• Capacity Building: Conduct at least one training course per country (including Venue and catering) to enhance technical skills in operating the platform, customizing bulletins, and generating impact-based alerts.
• Standardizing Alerts: Develop and validate clear, actionable templates for bulletins and alerts and integrate into myDEWETRA.
• Multi-Agency Coordination: Conduct two workshops ( one for Mauritius and one for Seychelles) per country to align National Emergency Operation Centres early action plans and procedures with alert levels.
• Second one Local expert on risk knowledge for Early Warnings in Mauritius and Seychelles to support activities implementation.

Resources

The following resources should be considered in preparing the proposal

• Early Warnings for All
• Early warnings for all: Executive action plan 2023-2027 Early warnings for all: Executive action plan 2023-2027 | PreventionWeb
• Africa road map for improving the availability, access and use of disaster risk information for early warning and early action, including in the context of transboundary risk management, Africa road map for improving the availability, access and use of disaster risk information for early warning and early action, including in the context of transboundary risk management | PreventionWeb
• The institutional and operational Framework for Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (MHEWAS) Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System | United Nations Development Programme
• Early Warning-Early Action System assessment of Mauritius from consultations and SIMEX results, Report of the program Resilience building and Disaster Response Management in the Indian Ocean financed by the European Commission- available on request
• Early Warning-Early Action System assessment of Seychelles from consultations and SIMEX results, Report of the program Resilience building and Disaster Response Management in the Indian Ocean financed by the European Commission- available on request
• Handbook on the use of risk knowledge for multi-hazard early warning systems 2024 Handbook on the use of risk knowledge for multi-hazard early warning systems 2024 | UNDRR

Elements specific to the project that the grantee should know

1. All International, (sub) regional and national non-governmental organizations that wish to be considered for partnership opportunities with UNDRR will need to register and create a profile on the United Nations Partner Portal (UNPP).
   • Following verification of the profile information, partners will be eligible to apply to partnership opportunities with UNDRR as well as the UN Secretariat and all other participating UN Organizations.
   • We encourage you to start the registration as soon as possible to avoid delays. Only registered organizations whose profile has been successfully verified will be considered eligible partners to apply for grant opportunities with UNDRR.
   • For more details on registration procedures please visit the UN Section of UNPP (https://www.unpartnerportal.org/registration)
2. Furthermore, the United Nations system requires all partners to be assessed regarding their capacity to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse. UNDRR encourages implementing partners to use the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) module in the UNPP. PSEA Module User Guide CSO Partner Members
3. Applicant must have experience in working in disaster risk reduction, capacity, early warning, and risk knowledge in Angola, Cote Ivorie, Zambia, Mauritius, and Seychelles, with clear example of at least 1 project per country in the last 5 years.
4. Applicant must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in Early Warning and Early Action in Africa, demonstrated with clear examples of at least 5 projects of similar scope and size in the last 3 years.
5. Applicant is expected to provide relevant information of their local expertise, including experience of working with regional and local key stakeholders, and established consultation and feedback mechanisms with local communities
6. For all training, workshops, consultative meetings, etc., the grantee must provide a summary outcome of the events, list of participants with disaggregated information including names, affiliation, gender, email address, city, and country of representation. All events must be accompanied by relevant reports with photos as proof of evidence.
7. The grantee shall acknowledge the financing support from UNDRR in the execution of all project activities and deliverables

Budget and administrative-related aspects

The duration of the proposed project cannot exceed 10 months. The maximum amount requested from UNDRR for the implementation of this project cannot exceed 335,000 USD. Output 3 must be completed by 31 December 2025. The project proposal must not exceed 10 pages (attachments such as scanned copies of entity’s registration, CVs of staff etc. do not count).

For this purpose, please fill in duly all the sections of the application form, include the required documents (scanned copy of NGO/IGO’s registration certificate, CVs of staff etc.) and budget excel sheets, and send the complete application package (application form, budget excel sheets, entity registration certificate, CVs of staff, etc.) to the following email address: undrrgrantproposal@un.org cc: marco.massabo@un.org

Reference: 2025 004 Call for Proposals – Early Warning and Early Action Capacity Building in Africa

Deadline for applications: 4th of July 2025 midnight New York, USA EST (Eastern Standard Time). Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.

Projects’ activities can include, amongst others, the following:

• seminars, workshops, trainings;
• capacity building activities;
• institutional strengthening activities and
• advocacy

The following types of activity will not be covered:

• capital expenditure, e.g. land, buildings, equipment and vehicles;
• individual scholarships for studies or training courses;
• supporting political parties; and
• sub-contracting

Due to the number of applications, only short-listed applicants will be notified.

Please note that UNDRR may publish information about the grant agreement. Please note that the grant payment schedule will be determined with the selected grantee when finalizing the agreement. UNDRR standard practice is: not to exceed 40% of the requested amount upon signature of the grant agreement; remaining payments made based on a schedule of payments linked to production of project milestones and the final payment, 20%, will be paid after the end of the project, once final documents have been received, verified and approved by UNDRR.

Refund of grants: UNDRR may request organizations to refund, either in part or in whole any amounts paid in respect of a grant when:

• the project was not implemented in full or in part;
• the grant was spent for ineligible expenditures other than those mentioned in the budget proposal submitted to, and approved by UNDRR;
• no narrative, financial or audit report was submitted within the deadline established by the grant agreement;
• a narrative report and/or a financial report submitted was determined to be unsatisfactory;
• a negative evaluation of the project by UNDRR;
• any other valid reason provided by the UNDRR.