The W@HCA project consortium of the World Meteorological Organization, The Netherlands Red Cross, South Sudan Red Cross, IFRC, UNDRR, and SOFF with the collaboration of national partners (South Sudan Government Humanitarian Affair and Disaster Management and Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation) launched the Early Warning for All and Water at the Heart of Climate Action inception workshops on 15th November 2023 in Kampala, Uganda.
Objectives
The overall objective of the EW4All launch and W@HCA inception workshop were to:
- Secure institutional support for achieving EW4ALL Action Plan by 2027 and co-design country-level W@HCA Roadmap.
- Assess Uganda’s early warning systems, align with EW4ALL pillars, connect with projects, and strengthen stakeholder commitments.
- Summarized: Strengthen national coordination for scaling up end-to-end early warning systems across pillars, linking national and local engagement, and implementing the W@HCA program.
- Define a country-driven, multi-stakeholder co-design process for the W@HCA program country plan, outlining activities, outputs, and expected deliverables for the 2024-2028 implementation phase.
Facilitators
- International federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
- Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC)
- World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)
- United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
- International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
- Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS)
- Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE)
- Office of the Prime Minister (OPM)
- Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA)
- Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre
Event Proceedings
The three-day event commenced with the initiation of the Early Warning for All (EW4A) Initiative on November 15, 2023, followed by a two-day inception workshop for W@HCA.
Day 1
On Day 1, the event kicked off with an opening ceremony featuring Hon. Minister Beatrice Anywar from MWE. Discussions covered the EW4ALL initiative, the National EWS framework, sectoral EWS initiatives, and contributions from non-state actors and regional bodies. Presentations included insights from WMO on “Early Warning for All” and discussions on water action for climate resilience. Topics also included early warning work, climate legal frameworks, and water management within EW4ALL. The day concluded with a panel discussion on the initiative’s implementation.
Day 2
On Day 2, the focus shifted to water-related issues, with Peter Wamburi from IFRC presenting guidance on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). The day included group work sessions to identify national-level priorities for EW4ALL across its pillars, followed by discussions aligning priorities for the W@HCA project with the EW4ALL action plan. Maren Striker, Head of Programs at the Netherlands Red Cross, presented the Theory of Change emphasizing the centrality of water in climate action.
Day 3
On Day 3, the focus centered on the coordination of EW4ALL and W@HCA efforts. The agenda included discussions on disaster preparedness and management coordination arrangements, as well as the presentation of the Roadmap of Inception by Maren Striker, Head of Programs at the Netherlands Red Cross. Further discussions revolved around the operationalization of the project and outlining the next steps. The day concluded with a wrap-up session and the closing ceremony.