Tonga aims to strengthen early warnings through mobile phones [1]
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Friday, October 14, 2022 - 20:48
Strengthening early warning system in Tonga. Nuku'alofa, 13 October, 2022. Photo: WMO
Tonga Meteorological Services plans to improve early warnings and early responses to hazards and threats, by expanding the use of mobile phones to receive early warning alerts.
Through a system known as the Tonga Mobile Applications Community MHEW and Response System (MACRES), the early warning systems will let all people, including those on low-lying islands, know when dangerous weather or a potential threat is headed their way, through messages sent to their smartphones.
The development is supported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Through the Tonga Meteorological Services and Permanent Representative to the WMO, Tonga has requested an improved system for rapid and mass dissemination of warnings to communities.
Tonga MACRES will be developed to deliver on this demand through the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative Accelerated Support Window (ASW).
Director of Meteorology, ‘Ofa Fa’anunu, said MACRES is an information system looking to vastly improve early warning and early response to hazards and natural disasters.
"It is my sincere hope this initiative can be replicated and contribute to the development of early warning systems, particularly in vulnerable regions of the globe. We welcome a positive consideration by the CREWS Steering Committee of this request."
Tonga coverage
Currently, Tonga has limited warning dissemination capacity to warn large number of communities of quick onset events.
Tonga’s mobile telephone geographical coverage is about 92%. So, the project will assist to disseminate and enable all smartphone users to have direct
access to warnings, he said.
access to warnings, he said.
The Tonga MACRES will be established so that five types of smartphones can be used and warnings will need no internet data to reach the people.
Alerts or sirens and warning messages or flashing screens will attract users’ attention, especially those with a hearing or eyesight disability.
Alerts or sirens and warning messages or flashing screens will attract users’ attention, especially those with a hearing or eyesight disability.
It will allow two-way communication of reports from communities, connected to a database to allow the TMS and the National Emergency Management Office, to receive both hazard and damage information for quick and targeted response.
“In addition, the CREWS ASW is a new financing mechanism dedicated to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), allocating funds towards short- term, targeted expert analyses, assessment, and advisory services to strengthen early warning systems.”
The ASW was approved by the CREWS Steering Committee at its 12th meeting in November 2020.
“It is now fit-for-purpose to contribute to the call by the United Nations Secretary- General, to have all people protected by early warning systems within five years, an effective climate change adaptation measure.”
WMO representative for the South-West Pacific, Mr Henry Taiki said the initiative will build on existing platforms to improve Tonga’s capacity in the dissemination and sharing of, and responses to, risks information, advisories and warnings.
He said Tonga is one of the first to benefit from the ASW but it will not be the last.
Development [7]