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Here is an essay on ‘Early Warning System’ for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Early Warning System’ especially written for school and college students.
Essay on Early Warning System
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Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Introduction to Early Warning System
- Essay on the Definition of Early Warning Systems
- Essay on the Importance of Early Warning System
- Essay on the Mechanism of Early Warning System
- Essay on the People-Centered Early Warning Systems
- Essay on the System Oriented Research Needs for Early Warning System
- Essay on the Integrated Systems Model for Early Warning System
- Essay on the Institutional Frameworks of Early Warning System
Essay # 1. Introduction to Early Warning System (EWS):
The term ‘early warning’ is used in many fields to describe the provision of information on an emerging dangerous circumstance where that information can enable action in advance to reduce the risks involved. Early warning systems exist for natural geophysical and biological hazards, complex socio-political emergencies, industrial hazards, personal health risks and many other related hazards.
Studies have demonstrated that disaster prevention can pay high dividends and found that for every Euro invested in risk management, broadly 2 to 4 Euros are returned in terms of avoided or reduced impacts on life, property, the economy and the environment.
Early warning systems can be set up to avoid or reduce the impact of hazards as flood, flash-floods, landslides, storms, forest fires etc. The significance of an effective early warning system lies in the recognition of its benefits by the members of the general public.
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Saving Lives:
Without sufficient warning the provision of emergency supplies, training and evacuation materials can become worthless. The greater the time communities have to prepare, the greater the savings in human life, household assets, livestock and stored provisions.
Early warning systems are made up of, and rely upon, four main elements:
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1. Observation and recording
2. Risk knowledge and recognition
3. Warning and dissemination
4. Appropriate response
Essay # 2. Definition of Early Warning Systems:
Climate change implies an increased risk of potential hazards and even disasters. In order to prepare ourselves, we need early warning systems.
An Early Warning System (EWS) can be defined as a set of capacities needed to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful warning information of the possible extreme events or disasters (e.g., floods, drought, fire, earthquake and tsunamis) that threatens people’s lives.
The purpose of this information is to enable individuals, communities and organizations threatened to prepare and act appropriately and in sufficient time to reduce the possibility of harm, loss or risk.
Since early warning systems deal with hazards and disasters, they require immediate responses after the signal has been received by the early warning centers. Action must be taken before the full proof of damage is made. This is a significant difference to long-term climate change responses, which are also preventative, and should be thoroughly planned.
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However, early warning systems should not be seen as quick fixes to the immediate problem. They need to span all steps, from hazard detection through to community response (hence the term end-to-end warning system, which is often used to emphasise the comprehensive nature of an early warning system).
Within the broad scope of global, regional and national early warning systems, each government would typically have set up its own early warning system to prepare for natural hazards. Management of the system might be dispersed among relevant government institutions. The system might also take advantage of institutions and structures outside the government, with one government institution having oversight over the entire national system.
This is done to ensure that the warning system is comprehensive and works in an accurate and timely manner. An early warning system should preferably be centralized and well coordinated. This ensures that responses are made and information reaches the community at risk on time.
Essay # 3. Importance of Early Warning System:
The basic idea behind early warning systems is that the earlier and more accurately we are able to predict potential risks associated with natural and human-induced hazards, the more likely we will be able to manage and mitigate disasters’ impact on society, economies, and the environment.
Adaptation to climate change would be very difficult without timely and reliable information. Decision makers need information for policy formulation and for immediate action. People who depend on the climate for their livelihood also need information to be able to make informed decisions. (This is why decision-makers and farmers are often referred to as end users when talking about early warning systems; hence, they are the end users of information).
Information is also important to climate change adaptation because farmers will need to be sufficiently informed in order to participate in the government decision making process to ensure that it does not affect their lives.
Accurate, reliable and timely early warning system enhances climate change adaptation efforts at all levels by:
I. Enabling communities and institutions to make informed and timely decisions.
II. Helping communities to time their activities with the expected impacts.
Essay # 4. Mechanism of Early Warning Systems:
i. Cyclone Forecasting:
(i) Tropical Cyclones are intense low pressure systems which develop over warm sea. They are capable of causing immense damage due to strong winds, heavy rains and storm surges. The frequency of the TC in the Bay of Bengal is 4 to 5 times more than in the Arabian Sea. About 35% of initial disturbances in the north Indian ocean reach TC stage of which 45% become severe.
(ii) Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is mandated to monitor and give warnings regarding Tropical Cyclone (TC). Monitoring process has been revolutionized by the advent of remote sensing techniques. A TC intensity analysis and forecast scheme has been worked out using satellite image interpretation techniques which facilitate forecasting of storm surges.
(iii) Data resources are crucial to early forecasting of cyclones. Satellite based observations are being extensively utilized. Satellite integrated automated weather stations have been installed on islands, oilrigs and exposed coastal sites. Buoys for supplementing the surface data network in the tropical ocean have been deployed. The Government have also started a National Data Buoy Programme. A set of 12 moored buoys have been deployed in the northern Indian Ocean to provide meteorological and oceanographic data.
(iv) Dynamic forecasting of TCs requires knowledge of the vertical structure of both the Cyclone and the surrounding environment. The rawin sonde remains the principal equipment for sounding. The Doppler Radar wind profiler provides hourly soundings. A mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere (MST) radar has also been installed at Thirupatti.
Another profiler is being developed and will be deployed at IMD Pune. Another important source of upper level data is the aircraft reports. Increasing number of commercial jet aircraft are equipped with the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay system. This data is being made available is also being used by the IMD for analysis and predictions.
(v) Radars have been used to observe TCs since long. Surveillance of the spiral rain bands and the eye of the TC is an important function of the coastal radars. 10 Cyclones Detection Radars have already been installed. These radars are providing useful estimates of storm centers upto a range 300-400 km.
Doppler radars provide direct measurements of wind fields in TCs. Due to range limitation, Doppler wind estimates are usually within a range of about 100 km. IMD has deployed Doppler radars at 3 sites on the east coast. Another set of 3 Doppler radars are being deployed in Andhra Pradesh in near future.
(vi) The meteorological satellite has made a tremendous impact on the analysis of cyclones. All developing cloud clusters are routinely observed through satellite cloud imagery and those showing signs of organisations are closely monitored for signs of intensification. TC forecasters everywhere use the Dvorak technique to estimate storm location and intensity.
It has been found to provide realistic estimates for TCs in the Bay of Bengal as well as Arabian Sea. INSAT data has also been used to study the structures of different TCs in the Bay of Bengal. IMD is also producing Cloud Motion Vectors (CMVs). Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR) payload onboard INSAT-2E which have been improved upon to provide water vapor channel data in addition to VIS and IR onboard INSAT-2E. A separate payload known as Charged Couple Device (CCD) has also been deployed onboard this satellite.
(vii) The goal of any warning system is to maximize the number of people who take appropriate and timely action for the safety of life and property. All warning systems start with detection of the event and with people getting out of harm’s way. Such warning systems encompass three equally important elements namely; Detection and Warning; Communication; and Response.
(viii) The two stage warning system has been in existence since long in IMD. Recently it has been improved upon by introducing two more stages —the ‘Pre-Cyclone watch’ and the ‘post-landfall Scenario’. This four stage warning system meets the requirements of Public Administrators and Crisis Managers.
The ‘Pre-Cyclone Watch’ stage, contains early warning about the development of a cyclonic disturbance in the form of monsoon depression which has a potential to threaten the coast with cyclone force winds. The coastal stretch likely to be affected is identified. This early warning bulletin is issued by the IMD before the Cyclone-Alert Stage. This provides enough lead time for the crisis managers to undertake preparedness actions.
(ix) After the early warning on the ‘Pre-Cyclone Watch’ the Collectors of coastal and few immediate interior districts and the Chief Secretary of the concerned maritime State are warned in two stages, whenever any coastal belt is expected to experience adverse weather (heavy rain/gales/tidal wave) in association with a cyclonic storm or a depression likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm.
(x) The second stage of “Cyclone Alert” is sounded 48 hours in advance of the expected commencement of adverse weather over the coastal areas. Forecasts of commencement of strong winds, heavy precipitation along the coast in association with arrival of cyclone are issued at the alert stage.
Landfall point is usually not identified at this stage. The third stage warning known as “Cyclone Warning” is issued 24 hours in advance. Landfall point is forecast in this stage of cyclone warning. In addition to the forecasts for heavy rains and strong winds, the storm surge forecast is also issued.
Since the storm surge is the biggest killer so far as the devastating attributes of a storm are concerned, information in this regard is most critical for taking follow up action for evacuation from the low lying areas likely to be affected by the storm.
(xi) After the landfall of the cyclone the strong winds with gale force speeds continue over certain interior districts of the maritime States hit by the cyclone. To take cognizance of that, a fourth stage known as ‘Post-landfall Scenario Stage’ is now identified usually as a part of the ‘Cyclone Warning Stage’ either at the time of landfall of the disturbance or about twelve hour in advance of it. It includes warnings of strong winds and heavy rains likely to be encountered in the interior districts.
(xii) For communications, the IMD makes use of 97 point-to-point teleprompter links connecting different field offices. Switching computers have been provided at 5 Regional Centers. These computers are linked to the central Regional Telecom Hub Computer at New Delhi. In addition, 69 centers have been provided with 85 telex connections.
Besides, 27 field offices have been provided with Radio Teletype facility. IMD also utilizes VSAT technology which has been installed at field offices. In addition, there are a number of HF/RT and VHF links.
(xiii) Cyclone warnings are communicated to Crisis Managers and other concerned organizations by high priority telegrams, telex, telephones and Police wireless. Cyclone warning are provided by the IMD from the Area Cyclone Warning Centers (ACWCs) at Calcutta, Chennai and Mumbai and Cyclone Warning Centers (CWCs) at Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and Ahmedabad.
(xiv) There is also a Satellite based communication system called the Cyclone Warning Dissemination Systems (CWDS) for transmission of warnings. There are 250 such cyclone-warning sets installed in the cyclone prone areas of east and west coast. The general public, the coastal residents and fishermen, are also warned through the Government machinery and broadcast of warnings through AIR and Television.
ii. Flood Forecasting:
(i) Flooding is caused by the inadequate capacity within the banks of the rivers to contain the high flow brought down from the upper catchments due to heavy rainfall. It is also caused by accumulation of water resulting from heavy spells of rainfall over areas, which have got poor drainage characteristics.
(ii) Flooding is accentuated by erosion and silting leading to meandering of the rivers in plains and reduction in carrying capacity of the river channel. It is also aggravated by earthquakes and landslides, leading to changes in river course and obstructions to flow. Synchronization of floods in the main rivers and tributaries and retardation of flow due to tidal effects lead to major floods. Cyclones bring in their wake considerable loss of life and property.
(iii) The flood forecasting and warning system is used for alerting the likely damage centers well in advance of the actual arrival of floods, to enable the people to move and also to remove the moveable property to safer places or to raised platforms specially constructed for the purpose.
(iv) A beginning in scientific flood forecasting was made in November, 1958 by Central Water Commission (then known as Central Water and Power Commission) when a Flood Forecasting Centre was set up at its Headquarters, at Delhi, forgiving timely Forecasts and Warnings of the incoming floods to the villages located in the river areas around the National Capital, Delhi. The network has been expanding and by now the Flood Forecasting Network of the Central Water Commission (CWC) covers all the major flood prone inter-State river basins in the country.
(v) Giving timely Forecasts and Warnings of the incoming floods to the villages located in the river areas around the National Capital, Delhi. The network has been expanding and by now the Flood Forecasting Network of the Central Water Commission (CWC) covers all the major flood prone inter-State river basins in the country.
The Flood Forecasting Network covers the 14 States and Union Territory in addition to NCT of Delhi.
State-wise number of flood forecasting centres are as under:
The Flood Forecasting involves the following four main activities:
a. Observation and collection of hydrological and hydro-meteorological data;
b. Transmission of Data to Forecasting Centers;
c. Analysis of data and formulation of forecast; and
d. Dissemination of forecast.
(vi) On an average, 6000 forecasts at various places in the country are issued during the monsoon season every year. The analysis of the forecasts issued during the last 25 years (1978 to 2002) indicates that accuracy of forecasts has consistently increased from around 81% to 98%. Forecast is considered accurate if forecast water level is within ± 15 cm. of actual water level of the inflow forecast (i.e. discharge) is with in ± 20% of actual discharge.
(vii) In monitoring the floods, severity of floods are placed in the following four categories by the Central Water Commissions.
a. Low flood stage:
It is that flood situation when the water level of the river is flowing between warning level and danger level of the forecasting stations.
b. Medium flood stage:
The river is called in medium floods when its water level is at or above the danger level of the forecasting station but below 0.50 of its highest flood level (HFL).
c. High flood stage:
When the water level of the river is below the HFL but within 0.50 m. of the HFL of the forecasting stations.
d. Unprecedented flood stage:
The river is called in unprecedented floods when it attains water level equal to or above its previous HFL at any forecasting station
(viii) A computerized monitoring system has been developed under which daily water levels as observed at 0800 hrs. and forecasts issued by field units are transmitted to CWC headquarters in New Delhi. Based on the compilation of all such data received from field divisions, daily water level and flood forecast bulletins in two parts for stage and for inflow forecasting stations respectively.
(ix) Special Yellow Bulletins are issued whenever the river stage at the forecasting site attains a level within 0.50 m of its previous HFL. Red Bulletins highlighting security of the problem are also issued whenever the water level at the forecasting stations equals or exceeds previous HFL.
(x) Bulletins are also updated on CWC Web site- www(dot)cwc(dot)nic(dot)in for wider publicity among user agencies during flood season.
Essay # 5. People-Centered Early Warning Systems:
The National Policy on Disaster Risk Management identifies people-centered approaches as the favoured approach in disaster risk management. As the term suggests, this means taking people as the starting point. A people-centered approach to early warning systems is based on the people-centered early warning systems model (P-CEWS) proposed by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
According to the ISDR’s definition, the aim of the P-CEWS is to “empower individuals and communities facing hazards to act in sufficient time and in an appropriate manner to reduce personal injury, loss of life, damage of property, the environment and loss of livelihoods.”
P-CEWS comprises four key elements; these are:
i. Knowledge of the risks:
Risk assessment and mapping must be conducted to provide information which is needed in setting priorities for reducing, mitigating and preventing strategies and designing early warning systems.
ii. Monitoring, analysis and forecasting of the hazards (warning service):
Systems with monitoring and predicting capabilities provide timely estimates of the potential risk faced by communities, economies and the environment. The importance of this element is to help answer questions like, for instance, if the right parameters have been monitored.
iii. Dissemination and communication of alerts and warnings:
A firm communication plan is needed for delivering warning messages to the potentially affected locations. It is important that the communication channels for such alerts and warnings are identified as part of the early warning system plan, and not in a panic situation when the disaster hits.
Equally important is that all alerts and warnings should be issued by one authority so that they all carry the same authoritative voice. The purpose of such alerts and warnings is to alert local and regional government agencies and the affected people to prepare.
The messages need to be reliable and simple so that they can be understood not only by the authorities but also by the people. In other words, the warnings must reach the people at risk and the people at risk need to fully understand the risks they are in, if they do not take action.
iv. Local capabilities to respond to the warnings received:
Coordination, good governance and appropriate action plans are a key point in effective early warning. Likewise, public awareness, participation and education are critical aspects of disaster mitigation. It is of great advantage if the end users understand the risk faced and know how to react. It also helps if they respect the warnings issued as well as the authorities issuing them.
Should one of the parts of the system fail the whole system will fail. This means that, accurate warnings will have no impact if the population is not prepared or if the alerts are received but not disseminated by the agencies receiving the messages.
Essay # 6. Systems-Oriented Research Needs for Early Warning System:
Early warning systems require a broad multidisciplinary knowledge base, building on the substantial existing discipline-based research in the geophysical, environmental and social science fields.
There is a need for more systemic, cross-cutting and applied research, including on the following topics:
1. Development and use of geospatial data models, risk maps and scenarios,
2. Cost-effective observations systems,
3. Data generation and assimilation (e.g., bathymetry for tsunami models),
4. Improvement of core prediction system models and prediction tools,
5. Warning decision system tools for disaster managers,
6. Management under warning uncertainty,
7. Evaluation and comparison of warning communication methods,
8. Models of human response behaviour including evacuations,
9. Visualization of impacts and response options for community preparedness,
10. Operationalization of the ‘all-hazards’ approach,
11. Role of early warning as an adaptation to climate change,
12. Warning system performance, indicators, benchmarks, and
13. Economic assessments of warning system effectiveness.
The last two topics are of critical importance. If an early warning system is to be justified on its benefits, we need to define and measure not only the benefits but also the contribution made by each part of the system. We must also develop a systems culture that sets and achieves well-defined performance objectives and standards for each system.
Essay # 7. Integrated Systems Model for Early Warning System:
Early warning systems have evolved in line with the development and application of scientific knowledge.
Four developmental stages can be distinguished:
(i) Pre-science early warning systems. Warnings, if any, may be based on unrelated factors such as meteor occurrence, cloud shapes, plant flowering or fruiting performance, etc., but also may be based on indigenous observations of relevant factors such as the state of the oceans or visibility of the stars,
(ii) Ad hoc science-based early warning systems. These are systems such as are often established on the initiative of scientists or community groups concerned with particular hazards, such as near-Earth space objects, a nearby volcano or a flood-prone river,
(iii) Systematic end-to-end early warning systems. The best known and most developed are those of national meteorological services, for weather-related hazards. Typically these systems operate under a country-wide mandate and involve the organized, linear and largely uni-directional delivery by experts of warning products to users, and
(iv) Integrated early warning systems. This concept, as proposed here and illustrated in Fig. 8.3, emphasizes the following characteristics: the linkages and interactions among all the elements necessary to effective early warning and response, the role of the human elements of the system and the management of risks rather than just warning of hazards.
The integrated model proposed in above fig. includes the core warning system elements, but in addition contains two new key features. The first is the inclusion of actors that often are not recognized as part of the warning system, most notably the political-administrative supporting entities, the district and community actors and the research community.
The second feature is the explicit inclusion of multiple linkages and feedback paths, particularly from affected populations through their organizations to the political and technical actors. The model could be elaborated further for the particular circumstances of countries, e.g., to better specify the district-level and community-level elements or the collaborative roles of different discipline-based technical institutions (e.g., such as seismological, oceano graphic and meteorological organizations in a tsunami early warning system).
Above Fig. 8.3 is largely conceived as a nationally based system, but it is worth noting that many warning systems depend on regional and international cooperation to secure the exchange of necessary data and warnings. This is not a simple matter to arrange, however, as sovereign states can view their data a shaving strategic or commercial value, and for these reasons can deny or limit its exchange.
In the field of meteorology, many years of discussion under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized technical agency of the United Nations, have led to formal agreements on the types of data that. Underlying the integrated model is the important foundational assumption that we are dealing with a system, defined here as a set of elements and associated linkages designed to achieve a particular result, namely, the reduction of risk for target populations and assets through early warning.
The system is judged on its effectiveness at delivering the desired result, and can only be effective if the elements and the linkages are well-understood, well-designed and well-operated are routinely exchanged. Much remains to be done to achieve similar levels of agreement in other hazard fields, e.g., in respect to rainfall and river flow data required for flood warnings in shared river basins and seismic data for tsunami warnings.
Essay # 8. Institutional Frameworks of Early Warning System:
The task of putting science to work in policy and practice can only be achieved through sound institutional mechanisms —at national, regional and international levels. The major failures of early warning systems over recent times have been failures largely of institutions rather than science.
Institutions are required to capture and sustain political commitment, to capitalize on and apply existing scientific knowledge, to assess risks and manage investments in systems, to globalize and systematize early warning systems, and to guide and resource underpinning scientific research.
Early warning systems are a well-recognized element of the ISDR and its predecessor the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). The ISDR mechanism was initiated by the UN General Assembly as a vehicle for shared agenda setting and action on disasters by governments, UN agencies, regional organizations and civil society organizations.
These organisations have primary responsibility for developing and supporting operational early warning systems. The ISDR system is supported by a secretariat that provides advocacy, policy development, information and supports countries through out reach units in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
The ISDR system advocates for disaster reduction and encompasses a wide range of networks in governments, academia and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It has fostered considerable activity on early warning issues, including international conferences on early warning, a working group on early warning, the establishment of the ISDR platform for the Promotion of Early Warning (PPEW), and the development of the IEWP.
The landmark World Conference on Disaster Reduction was initiated and organized through ISDR mechanisms, and, as noted above, it was at this conference that governments agreed on the Hyogo Framework. The ISDR system is currently being re-organized and strengthened in order to build the wider and more systematic engagement of governments and organizations necessary to implement the Hyogo Framework over the decade.
The UN global survey of early warning systems will be an important step toward setting out gaps and needs in respect to early warning systems globally. It is clear that any globally comprehensive warning capacity will not be a centrally managed system, but will build on and strengthen existing institutional arrangements, particularly the operational mandates of WMO, UNESCO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the member bodies of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), and the Group on Earth Observations, and on the organizational contexts of the ISDR and the Hyogo Framework. The embryonic IEWP provides a vehicle to coordinate and focus energy on systemic issues and capacity building in early warning systems development.
New Initiatives by Govt of India:
(i) In the federal set up of India, the basic responsibility for undertaking rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures in the event of a disaster is that of the State Government concerned. The Central Government supplements the efforts of State Governments by providing financial and logistic support in case of major disasters. At the State level response, relief and rehabilitation are handled by Departments of Relief and Rehabilitation.
The State Crisis Management Committee is set up under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary who is the highest executive functionary in the State. All the concerned Departments and organisations of the State and Central Government Departments located in the State are represented in this Committee. This Committee reviews the action taken for response and relief and gives guidelines/directions as necessary.
(ii) A control room is established under the Relief Commissioner. The control room is in constant touch with the climate monitoring/forecasting agencies and monitors the action being taken by various agencies in performing their responsibilities.
(iii) The district level is the key level for disaster management and relief activities. The District Magistrate/Collector/Dy. Commissioner is the chief administrator in the district. He is the focal point in the preparation of district plans and in directing, supervising and monitoring calamity relief.
A District Level Coordination and Relief Committee is constituted and is headed by the Collector as Chairman with the participation of all other related government and non-governmental agencies and departments in addition to the elected representatives.
The Collector is required to maintain close liaison with the State Government as well as the nearest units of Armed Forces/Central police organisations and other relevant Central Government organisations like Ministries of Communications, Water Resources, Drinking Water, Surface Transport, who could supplement the efforts of the district administration in the rescue and relief operations.
The District Magistrate/Collector and the Coordination Committee under him reviews preparedness measures prior to an impending hazard and coordinates response when the hazard strikes. As all the Departments at the district level report to the Collector, there is an effective coordination mechanism ensuring holistic response.
(iv) Each State Government has relief manuals/codes which identify the role of each Department in the State for managing the natural disasters. These are reviewed and updated periodically based on the experience of managing the disasters and the need of the State.