An Early Warning System for Use in Developing Countries and Small Island States

Abstract

An early warning system for disaster management can be judged to be functional if its elements are reliable, affordable and can, to a large extent, be maintained by the people that it is supposed to serve. Similarly, it can be classified as effective if those who are to benefit from its deployment pay particular attention to both what the system is supposed to do for them as well as to how it works. The latter would require adequate investment in disaster management measures and appropriate education and training, all of which will need to be put to good use in the eventuality of a disaster. On the basis of what is commercially available today, this paper proposes a satellite-based communications network that can provide sudden disaster warning capability for rural, remote and outer communities of developing countries and Small Island States (SIDS). Of paramount importance are the cost, simplicity of warning message, speed and reliability of warning delivery of such a system.