Pacific Project Boosts Island Warning Systems

A four-year regional project has strengthened the Pacific's ability to anticipate, respond to, and recover from weather- and climate-related hazards. Through targeted investments, strong partnerships, and inclusive planning, the project has equipped communities and institutions across the Pacific with practical tools to reduce risk and build resilience.

Launched in January 2021, the project supported 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) in enhancing their multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) by addressing gaps in institutional governance, technical capacity, risk information systems, and community-based preparedness. Despite regional disruptions including COVID-19 and the Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption, the project successfully concluded in June 2025.

The US$ 4.8 million Strengthening Hydro-Meteorological and Early Warning Systems in the Pacific (CREWS Pacific SIDS 2.0) project was implemented by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in partnership with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the World Bank's Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and regional agencies including the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Pacific Community (SPC), National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services. The project was funded through the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative .

The Pacific context

Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to climate-driven hazards such as cyclones, floods, coastal inundation, and droughts. With dispersed populations, limited infrastructure, and often under-resourced weather, climate and disaster services, the region requires robust, locally tailored early warning solutions. CREWS Pacific SIDS 2.0 worked at multiple levels-regional, national, and community-to build systemic resilience and support inclusive approaches that reach those most at risk.

"The CREWS project has been transformative for Tonga and the Pacific. Through collaboration, we have strengthened our early warning systems and empowered communities to act early," said Laitia Fifita, Director of the Tonga Meteorological Service.

Key achievements and deliverables

  • Legislative and strategic frameworks: Drafted or supported legislation and national plans in Solomon Islands, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Tokelau, and Vanuatu, including early warning policies and cost-recovery strategies.
  • Strengthened regional coordination: Supported the review of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC), technical panels, and the development of the Pacific Partner Coordination Mechanism and dashboard.
  • Hydrology and flood early warning systems: Assessed and supported forecasting tools in Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
  • Impact-based forecasting: Conducted training and workshops across Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu to improve warnings based on risk, not just hazard.
  • Common Alerting Protocol and ICT systems: Trained officials from 12 Pacific countries on the Common Alerting Protocol and supported data-sharing systems (e.g., WMO Information System WIS 2.0) for regional integration.
  • Community-based early warning systems: Supported traditional knowledge practices in Niue, warning systems in Kiribati and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and local standard operating procedure development for droughts and severe weather.
  • Climate services and local capacity: Held National Climate Outlook Forums and trained officials in Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tokelau.
  • Inclusive early warning: Delivered special sessions on gender and disability inclusion during the Pacific Meteorological Council and regional meetings, developed accessible messages, and promoted the UNDRR Inclusive Early Warning for All checklist.
  • Women's leadership: Trained more than 30 women from 14 countries at the second Women in Leadership Workshop for Meteorology and Hydrology, hosted in Vanuatu.

Reflections and sustainability

The CREWS Pacific SIDS 2.0 project delivered critical improvements across the Pacific while facing significant challenges. Delays in procurement processes, resource availability, changes in leadership and governments, and natural disasters such as COVID-19 and volcanic eruptions at times disrupted implementation.

Nevertheless, the project enabled and improved many facets of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) across the region. Embedding early warning efforts within existing national programs proved vital to long-term sustainability. Inclusive approaches that involved women, persons with disabilities, and community groups not only ensured relevance but also built stronger, more trusted warning systems. Training, traditional knowledge integration, and impact-based forecasting have all reinforced community ownership of resilience strategies.

Looking Ahead

CREWS Pacific SIDS 2.0 has laid the groundwork for long-term progress. Its results are being integrated into national and regional programs including Weather Ready Pacific and the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) .

The next phase of work, through the upcoming CREWS phase three project called "Scale Up Inclusive Early Warning and Action in the Pacific" will build directly on these foundations, scaling up successful initiatives and deepening engagement with those most at risk. This follow-on project aims to expand impact-based early warnings and further integrate meteorological and disaster management sectors, while prioritizing inclusion, data sharing, and local ownership.

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