Early Warning
Four key points to any successful early warning system
An effective system should have at least four key components:
- a network of regular surveillance
- rapid transmission of data from the field to decision-makers who should be able to access it easily
- geo-referenced field data (i.e. data collected with GPS coordinates) should be fully managed and analyzed within a geographic information system (GIS)
- summaries, warnings and other outputs should be simple, clear and well-targeted for those who need early warning. Continue for more details on each of these components
The Desert Locust early warning system
A network of linked national locust centres
The flow of data in the Desert Locust early warning system
Getting complete data from remote areas in real time
Data must be easily accessible by decision-makers
RAMSES: a geographic information system (GIS) used at National Locust Centres
SWARMS: a sophisticated GIS used operationally at FAO HQ for locust early warning
Additional tools are used by FAO DLIS for analysis and forecasting
Well-targeted outputs must be simple and clear for early warning
Early warning information should be available in different ways and formats
In addition to the bulletins, updates, alerts and warnings issued by FAO DLIS, anyone who has Internet access can create a custom map that shows the latest locust situation or one in the past. This is useful for presentations and for those that prefer information on maps rather than in bulletins. The system is called DL MAPPER and it is on the Locust Watch web site.
Effective and reliable early warning must be sustainable and relies on everyone's cooperation
In addition to the four key components of an early warning system, there are several other aspects that should be considered within the context of an early warning program at the national level: (1) individuals should be energetic, curious and dedicated, (2) field teams need to be well trained in collecting, recording and transmitting data, (3) they also need to be well equipped and be given the tools to do so (GPS, vehicles), (4) financial support must be provided on a regular basis by the Government, (5) early warning has to develop into a routine activity, (6) everyone involved in early warning needs to receive feedback if they are expected to continue their efforts and maintain interest, and (7) it is the affected country that owns its data.