are australian early warning systems working?
DESCRIPTION
Presentation to the 2014 International Disaster Reduction Conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on the effectiveness of Australian early warning systems and how they could be improvedTRANSCRIPT
Australian early warning Australian early warning systems: are they systems: are they working?working?Neil DuftyNeil Dufty
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 22
OverviewOverview
What are early warning systems?What are early warning systems? Importance in building disaster Importance in building disaster
resilienceresilience Early warning systems in AustraliaEarly warning systems in Australia Findings for GAR 2015 review Findings for GAR 2015 review Case study: floodsCase study: floods Progress and gapsProgress and gaps Example of researchExample of research
Early warning systemsEarly warning systems
Early warning systems detect impending disaster, give that information to people at risk, and enable those in danger to make decisions and take action (Mileti, 1999)
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 33
Four parts of an Four parts of an effective early warning effective early warning systemsystem Risk knowledge. Monitoring and warning service. Dissemination and
communication. Response capability. UNISDR, 2003
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 44
Disaster resilienceDisaster resilience
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 55
A disaster resilience A disaster resilience frameworkframework
66
Early warning systems
Early warning systems
GOVERNANCE
POPULATION
ECONOMY
CLIMATE CHANGE
Australia: A big Australia: A big countrycountry
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 77
Main hazards in Main hazards in AustraliaAustralia
Natural Technological Human-caused
Resulting from acts of nature Involves accidents of failures and structures
Caused by the intentional actions of an adversary
Bushfire Cyclone Drought Earthquake Epidemic Flood Heatwave Storm Tsunami
Aeroplane crash Dam/levee failure Hazardous materials release Power failure Radiological release Train derailment Urban conflagration
Civil disturbance Cyber incidents Sabotage School violence Terrorist acts
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 88
Australian early Australian early warning systems warning systems
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 99
Arrangements for Arrangements for early warning systemsearly warning systems
Under Australia’s constitutional arrangements, State and Territory emergency management legislation identifies control agencies and guides early warnings. The control agencies are responsible for delivering warnings to the public.
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1010
The Bureau of The Bureau of MeteorologyMeteorology
Bureau of Meteorology disseminates warnings, watches and advices on weather events such as severe thunderstorms, fire weather, coastal hazards, high winds, flood and tropical cyclone warnings and, in collaboration with Geoscience Australia, tsunami warnings.
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1111
Input review paper for Input review paper for 2015 GAR2015 GAR
Input paper addressed Research Area 4, Priority for Action 2 – Core Indicator 3 from the HFA:Early warning systems are in place for all major hazards, with outreach to communities.
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1212
Review sourcesReview sources
From consultation with emergency agencies from the Australian states and territories.
Post-disaster evaluations. These included reports from royal commissions, government inquiries and after action reviews.
Between event evaluations. Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1313
Findings – FloodsFindings – Floods
Manual 21 states that an effective flood warning system can be defined as having six integrated components:Prediction Interpretation Message Construction Communication Response Review
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1414
Queensland Floods Queensland Floods Commission of InquiryCommission of Inquiry
Queensland Floods Commission of Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry into 2011 floodsInquiry into 2011 floodsthe lack of flood studies to assist in flood prediction and interpretationthe lack of evacuation planning (response) in some communities
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1515
Victorian Floods Victorian Floods ReviewReview Lack of clarity over roles and Lack of clarity over roles and
ownershipownership Gaps in the gauging networkGaps in the gauging network Lack of community understanding Lack of community understanding
about meaning of warningsabout meaning of warnings Concern about flash flood warningConcern about flash flood warning
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1616
Other findingsOther findings
2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal CommissionCommission
Evaluations from recent floods, Evaluations from recent floods, bushfires, cyclonesbushfires, cyclones
Feedback from emergency Feedback from emergency agenciesagencies
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1717
ProgressProgress
Recommendations from Recommendations from government inquiries and reviews government inquiries and reviews being implementedbeing implemented
National review of early warning National review of early warning systems being conductedsystems being conducted
Improvements in interoperability, Improvements in interoperability, forecasting and prediction, range forecasting and prediction, range of warning techniquesof warning techniques
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1818
GapsGaps
Low levels of community preparednessLow levels of community preparedness
Flash floodingFlash flooding Understanding of response behavioursUnderstanding of response behaviours Evaluation of early warning systemsEvaluation of early warning systems
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 1919
Example of flash flood Example of flash flood early warning researchearly warning research
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 2020
Russells Creek, Russells Creek, WarrnamboolWarrnambool
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 2121
Only one hour of Only one hour of warningwarning
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 2222
What do you do?What do you do?
Better use of existing flood warning Better use of existing flood warning services provided by the Bureau of services provided by the Bureau of MeteorologyMeteorology
Tailored community flood education Tailored community flood education with different alert triggerswith different alert triggers
Installation of two new rain gauges Installation of two new rain gauges and telemetryand telemetry
An opt-in SMS alert system linked to An opt-in SMS alert system linked to rain gauges and telemetryrain gauges and telemetry
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 2323
SummarySummary
Inquiries and reviews into disasters have Inquiries and reviews into disasters have identified improvementsidentified improvements
Some improvements have been Some improvements have been demonstrated in recent disasters e.g. demonstrated in recent disasters e.g. 2013 Blue Mountains bushfire where no 2013 Blue Mountains bushfire where no lives were lost but 200 homes destroyedlives were lost but 200 homes destroyed
Further work required particularly Further work required particularly related to community response to related to community response to warnings warnings
Molino StewartMolino Stewart 2424
Thank youThank you
2525