Early Warning, Early Action: Reliance Foundation-UN India Convening Brings Ideas Together In Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Nov 20: Building new ideas to strengthen early action during disasters, Reliance Foundation and the United Nations India convened stakeholders from the Global South to deliberate multi-hazard, multi-stakeholder approaches to early warning, in Bhubaneswar.

The Odisha convening, titled 'Early Warning to Early Action - A Multi-Hazard, MultiStakeholder Approach: Learning from Coastal Ecosystems', is the first in a series of convenings that Reliance Foundation and the UN India are organising.

The gathering highlighted Odisha's leadership in early warning and early action in a disaster-prone coastal area with focus on livelihoods and gender, a Reliance Foundation statement said on Tuesday.

Experts from state and national disaster management agencies including the National Disaster Management Authority, India Meteorological Department and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, UN organisations, researchers, policy experts, academia and nongovernmental organisations were part of in-depth discussions.

Suresh Pujari, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management, Odisha, said, "We are working collectively to further strengthen early warning systems, and we are happy that Odisha has been chosen as the first state to start this series of deliberations."

"The Odisha government works with various stakeholders on minimising the intensity of natural disasters. We will be working with the UN, Reliance Foundation and all other stakeholders for suggestions and technological assistance. We request the organisations we work with to find ways to integrate disaster prediction with information analysis for greater accuracy in early warnings."

Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation, said that as climate change drives more extreme events, there is a need to strengthen impact-based forecasting to ensure it translates more effectively to local action.

"We have witnessed the lifesaving potential of early warnings while serving communities during cyclones, floods, and other extreme events. India is pioneering knowledge advancement in rapidly advancing early warning systems. We have been driving innovative solutions in early warning systems through extensive use of technology and approaches for effective reach and impact. The convening series, being organised by Reliance Foundation and the United Nations in India office, aims to work collectively with various stakeholders to realise the goal of translating knowledge into local action," the CEO added.

Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator for India, asserted that the UN remains committed to supporting these efforts through its various agencies, working closely with the government, civil society, and partners like Reliance Foundation to strengthen Early Warning Systems and build community resilience.

The Early Warning to Early Action convening series aims to document best practices, identify innovations, and deliver impactful policy-level outcomes to save more lives and livelihoods. (ANI)