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WITHDRAWN -Using the value chain approach in Samoa to assess and prioritise multi-hazard early warning system vulnerabilities

Andrew Tupper1, 2, Afa'ese Luteru Tuvale3

  • Affiliations: 1Natural Hazards Consulting, Melbourne, Australia 2UCL Warning Research Centre, London, UK 3Samoa Meteorology, Geoscience and Ozone Services Division, Apia, Samoa 

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Friday 16:30 - 18:00, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 111

  • Programme No: 6.7.19

  • Theme 6 > Session 7

Abstract

Samoa is a small island developing State in the central South Pacific, with mountainous volcanic topography and a population of around 205,000 living mostly near the coasts of two main islands. The country is exposed to many natural hazards, including tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, landslides and forest fires. During the past six years, Samoa has made considerable efforts to upgrade its multi-hazard early warning system (MHEWS) governance, policy and procedures, and intends to continue this work with the support of partners and donors. To invest in improving this MHEWS requires an objective understanding of system vulnerabilities from an integrated, multi-disciplinary risk-based perspective that explicitly includes meteorological and geohazard events.  Some past external assessments in Samoa and elsewhere have neglected to include geohazard components, perhaps because of a focus on climate-related issues. During early 2024, we adapted work from the World Meteorological Organization's HIWeather Value Chain project to produce an MHEWS warning chain assessment matrix, with hazards listed in priority order and the vulnerabilities of different capabilities and outputs along the chain colour-coded according to the level of concern.  The results highlighted critical points of MHEWS failure in unexpected places along the warning chain, as well as many areas where investment, integration, and other system improvements are needed.  This matrix was then used to inform a series of urgent, strategic and operational recommendations for MHEWS improvement, and including for volcanic hazards.