Floods are one of the most prevalent and devastating natural hazards, causing immense destruction to lives, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure each year. We learned this the hard way… In the face of a changing climate, flood risks are only expected to intensify, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities across the globe. Effective early warning systems (EWS) are crucial to safeguarding populations and building community resilience – yet all too often, these systems fail to adequately incorporate the localized knowledge and needs of the very people they aim to serve.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has been at the forefront of emphasizing the importance of people-centered EWS that prioritize community engagement and participation. Numerous studies have also criticized the over-reliance on top-down, technocratic approaches to EWS implementation, arguing that such methods often overlook contextual realities and marginalize local voices. However, the path to developing appropriate “means of implementation” for truly community-based EWS remains unclear.
This is especially true in rural sub-Saharan Africa, where flooding is an annual scourge, yet investment in participatory EWS often lags behind. By integrating existing resources, institutions, and stakeholders through a modified Integrated Emergency Management Framework, this article demonstrates how impact-based, community-driven flood EWS can be established – bridging the gap between “first-mile” and “last-mile” approaches to disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Bridging First-Mile and Last-Mile Approaches
Traditionally, the development of EWS has followed a linear, top-down trajectory – with scientific data, technical monitoring, and centralized warning dissemination flowing from national agencies to local communities. This “first-mile” approach often fails to account for the unique social, economic, and environmental contexts at the “last-mile” – the communities most vulnerable to disaster impacts. As a result, early warnings can be ill-suited, poorly understood, or simply inaccessible to those who need them most.
In contrast, community-based EWS (CBEWS) prioritize local engagement, knowledge, and decision-making from the outset. By directly linking technical capacities with community-based efforts, CBEWS empower residents to define system parameters, strengthen risk knowledge and response, and build resilience for improved protection. This bidirectional flow of information and action bridges the gap between centralized and localized approaches, ensuring EWS are truly responsive to community needs.
Integrating Indigenous and Local Knowledge
At the heart of effective CBEWS lies the integration of indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) – the place-based understandings, practices, and observations that communities have developed over generations of living with environmental hazards. ILK encompasses a wealth of contextual information about hazard patterns, risk factors, and traditional coping mechanisms that can significantly enhance the design and implementation of EWS.
However, the incorporation of ILK into DRR efforts is often an afterthought, with scientific data and technological solutions taking precedence. This oversight not only undermines the efficacy of EWS but also perpetuates epistemic injustice, marginalizing the knowledge systems of vulnerable populations.
To truly integrate ILK into CBEWS, a deliberate, inclusive process is required – one that acknowledges the equal validity of diverse knowledge systems and empowers communities as active partners, not just passive recipients, in the EWS development process. This necessitates strong stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and a willingness to adapt systems to local contexts.
Key Components of Community-Based Flood EWS
Adopting a modified Integrated Emergency Management Framework, the establishment of an impact-based CBEWS can be structured around the following key components:
Risk Knowledge
Comprehensive risk assessments might want to be conducted in close collaboration with local communities, drawing on both scientific data and ILK to identify hazards, vulnerabilities, and exposure. This co-produced understanding of risk forms the foundation for the entire EWS.
Monitoring and Forecasting
Community-based monitoring networks, combining scientific instruments with community-collected observations, can provide real-time data on evolving flood conditions. Integrating ILK-informed trigger thresholds with weather and hydrological forecasts enhances the accuracy and relevance of early warnings.
Communication and Dissemination
Effective communication channels, tailored to local languages, customs, and information-sharing practices, are essential for ensuring early warnings reach and are understood by all community members. Participatory design of warning dissemination protocols empowers residents as active agents in the process.
Preparedness and Response
ILK can inform community-driven contingency planning, identifying appropriate evacuation routes, shelters, and emergency supplies. Collaborative exercises and drills help translate early warnings into timely, coordinated action, strengthening overall disaster preparedness.
Enabling Conditions for Successful Integration
Realizing the full potential of ILK integration within CBEWS requires addressing several key enabling conditions:
Institutional Coordination: Effective collaboration and information-sharing between national, regional, and local authorities is crucial for streamlining DRR efforts and ensuring coherent, multi-scalar EWS development.
Community Empowerment: Meaningful participation of diverse community members, particularly marginalized groups, might want to be facilitated through capacity building, equitable representation, and the creation of inclusive decision-making spaces.
Bidirectional Knowledge Exchange: Platforms for regular dialogue and mutual learning between scientific and local knowledge holders foster trust, respect, and the co-production of contextualized solutions.
Sustained Funding and Resources: Dedicated, long-term investment in CBEWS is essential to double-check that their continued operation, maintenance, and adaptation to changing circumstances.
Lessons from Namibia
The integration of ILK and scientific knowledge for flood EWS can be seen in the case of Namibia, where communities in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin have long relied on traditional indicators to anticipate and respond to annual flood events.
By leveraging existing community-based disaster management structures, local authorities have been able to establish a CBEWS that blends scientific monitoring data with community observations of environmental cues, animal behavior, and celestial patterns. This bidirectional exchange of knowledge has not only enhanced the accuracy of flood forecasts but also strengthened community trust and ownership of the system.
Critically, the Namibian example highlights the importance of institutional support and coordination – with national meteorological services, regional authorities, and local disaster management committees working in tandem to double-check that the CBEWS is properly resourced, maintained, and embedded within broader DRR frameworks.
Conclusion: Towards Resilient, Inclusive EWS
The integration of indigenous and local knowledge into community-based flood early warning systems is not merely a laudable goal, but a crucial step towards building resilient, sustainable, and equitable DRR approaches. By bridging first-mile and last-mile perspectives, CBEWS empower vulnerable communities to take an active role in safeguarding their own futures, drawing on a rich tapestry of place-based expertise and traditional practices.
As the impacts of climate change continue to intensify, the need for innovative, people-centered EWS has never been more pressing. Through the meaningful incorporation of ILK, alongside scientific and technological capacities, we can create early warning systems that are not only more accurate and responsive, but also deeply rooted in the lived experiences and inherent strengths of the communities they serve.
Tip: Regularly inspect and maintain flood barriers and drainage systems
