Supporting early warning systems in fragile and conflict-affected settings (lessons learned)
Extreme weather does not stop for conflict. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, communities facing displacement, economic hardship, violence and political instability are among those least-served by the early warning systems that could help protect them. Functional systems tied to anticipatory actions are not optional, but an urgent need to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events on highly vulnerable communities. The WISER programme (Weather and Climate Information Services) of the UK Met Office was designed to address this gap, working to strengthen the generation and use of weather and climate information, including impact-based forecasting, between these actors. In the Middle East and North Africa, WISER has done this in a highly challenging operational environment, in a region that had virtually no formal experience of anticipatory action programming. This report uses lessons from WISER to identify how to best design and deliver early warning and anticipatory action programming in MENA.