23 March 2025 -As the extreme events globally increases in frequency and intensity, the World Meteorological Day 2025 is being commemorated under the theme "Closing the Early Warning Gaps Together". This global call to action emphasizes the urgent need to ensure that everyone, everywhere, is safeguarded by early warning systems by 2027. This years' theme calls for closing the early warning coverage gaps, particularly for the most vulnerable communities on Earth.

To augment this global endeavor, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) has been engaged in strengthening multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) and hydro-met services to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of extreme hydrometeorological events in Asia and the Pacific region.

Figure 1 Enhanced forecasting capability at Bangladesh Meteorological Department established as part of ADPC supported 4 years program on "Meteorological Services and Systems Integrator"

Scaling Up Early Warning Coverage Through Regional Partnerships

1. Enhancing Resilience in Lao PDR and Cambodia
   Through the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) programme, supported by WMO and the World Bank, ADPC has been supporting early warning capacity development in Cambodia and Lao PDR. Activities include institutional development, hazard monitoring, and upgrade of communication systems to issue timely and reliable warnings to at-risk communities.
2. Meteorological Services and Systems Integrator for Bangladesh Meteorological Department Modernized hydro-meteorological infrastructure is key to enhanced early warning and a step towards reducing the early warning coverage gaps. ADPC in 2024 successfully supported the modernization of Bangladesh Meteorological Department under a World Bank funding and successfully established a state-of-art Meteorological Information and Communication Station (MICS), Integrated File and Message Switching Services (IFFMS), Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), Forecasting Systems and other state-of-art facilities. The modernization has enhanced BMD operations, forecasting technology, dissemination of information and increased the lead time of forecast availability at a higher spatial resolution.
3. Pacific Island Assessments for Multi-Hazard Preparedness
   In the highly vulnerable Pacific, ADPC conducted multi-hazard early warning system assessments in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Tokelau, and Tuvalu under a CREWS-funded project. These assessments are opening the door to country-specific interventions, addressing each island nation's unique risks while being integrated with regional resilience frameworks.
4. Piloting Impact-Based Forecasting in Vietnam
   With funding from Norad, ADPC launched the Urban Resilience to Climate Extremes in Southeast Asia (URCE) program, which piloted impact-based forecasting and warning systems in Vietnam in Nam Dinh and My Tho. The pilots aimed to shift from traditional hazard warnings to forecasts that indicate potential impacts, allowing local authorities and communities to respond more effectively.
   
   

   
   Figure 2 Future of Forecast and Warning: Impact-based Forecasting and Warning (IbFW) developed by ADPC as part of Norad funded Urban resilience to Climate Extremes Program

5. Enhancing South and Southeast Asian Coastal Hazard Warnings
   Under the UNESCAP Tsunami Trust Fund, ADPC partnered with Sri Lankan, Philippine, and Myanmar national agencies to develop improved early warning systems for coastal threats. The program focused on community-based warning communication, technology integration, and capacity development to facilitate last-mile warning connectivity.
6. Readiness Assessment of Impact-based Forecasting (IbF) in Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)
   Under a collaborative effort between ADPC and the World Food Programme (WFP), a readiness assessment was carried out to evaluate and enhance the capacities of Cambodia and Lao PDR with a focus on helping the two countries in shifting from traditional weather forecasting to impact-based approaches, that tends to prioritize actionable insights into how hazards like floods and droughts affect communities, infrastructure, and economies. The assessment has led to the evolving of guidance documents to develop strategy and action plan on multi-hazard impact-based forecasting and warning in both countries.

A Call for Collaborative Action

ADPC's work is a fine embodiment of this year's theme of World Meteorological Day. By closely aligning itself with governments, international agencies, and local communities, ADPC ensures that early warning systems are not only scientifically robust, but also socially inclusive and locally appropriate and reach the intended people.

With the climate crisis accelerating the frequency and magnitude of natural hazards, closing early warning gaps is no longer optional - it's a necessity. Today, on World Meteorological Day, ADPC reaffirms its dedication to a more secure, more resilient Asia-Pacific where no one gets left behind in disaster.