The 4th Ministerial Conference of the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES)
The 4th Ministerial Conference of the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) in Sri Lanka on 8-9 May marked a critical milestone in global efforts to enhance early warning systems (EWS) and climate resilience, especially for participating countries form Africa. The event was a gathering of government officials, high-level representatives from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and technical partners from Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
RIMES, founded in 2009, has become a dynamic regional mechanism for risk-informed development that includes 22 member states and 27 collaborating countries. It provides science-based, end-to-end multi-hazard early warning services and supports countries to enhance decision-making through technical assistance, capacity building and shared innovation. With the increasing frequency of weather and climate related hazards, RIMES plays a pivotal role in enabling governments and communities to predict, prepare and respond to risks more effectively.
The Conference, which focused on scaling RIMES' impacts through regional integration, culminated in a Ministerial Declaration and the adoption of a Joint Strategy and Master Plan through 2030, providing a framework for long-term investment and action. The Ministerial Declaration endorses the decentralization of RIMES services through subregional hubs in Africa and Asia-Pacific; reaffirms RIMES' role in the Early Warnings for All initiative; and approved a resource mobilization strategy, which would also fund a new Multi-hazard, Multi-purpose, Multi-scale Early Warning Centre. The Joint Strategy and Master Plan has five prerogatives:
- To expand multi-hazard EWS in vulnerable coastal zones
- To build NMHSs' capacity to support national mandates
- To deploy decision support systems and forecasting tools developed by WMO and RIMES
- To implement the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)
- To institutionalize National Climate Outlook Forums.
Delegates from 18 African countries joined the Conference, emphasizing shared challenges and collaboration needs in disaster risk management in a dedicated session for African Permanent Representatives (PRs). Countries were encouraged to partner with RIMES and to target the establishment of a regional support centre in Africa, suggested to be hosted in Madagascar.
Looking ahead the participants shared a vision for a safer society. The outcomes of the Conference reaffirmed the value of regional collaboration and science-based policymaking in the face of mounting climate risks. For governments, NMHSs and WMO Members, the Conference signals a commitment to strengthening national capacities while fostering transboundary cooperation. RIMES' strategic aligned with the Early Warnings for All framework and Joint Plan and Strategy through 2030 positions it to empower countries to protect lives, livelihoods and socioeconomic development from multi-hazard disaster risks.
