Established following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the ESCAP Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness represented a regional commitment to strengthening early warning systems. As a result, 23 countries have directly benefited from building regional and national end-to-end multi-hazard warning systems. By pooling resources, the Trust Fund facilitates South-South cooperation to strengthen disaster resilience in high-risk, low-capacity countries and ultimately reduces disaster loss and damage.
19 years on, strengthening early warnings remains the top adaptation priority for many countries in Asia and the Pacific. Countries with limited to moderate multi-hazard early warning system (MHEWS) coverage experience nearly six times the mortality ratio compared to countries with substantial to comprehensive coverage. The launch of the United Nations Executive Action Plan for Early Warnings for All at COP27 signaled a global commitment to advancing MHEWS.
As of 31 December 2023, the ESCAP secretariat acknowledges with gratitude that eleven donors have contributed a total of US$ 16,217,156 to the Trust Fund, and an additional three contributors have provided in-kind and technical support.
Since inception, US$ 14.65 million has been programmed under 32 projects which has further mobilized an estimated US$ 34.67 million in additional co-financed or in-kind support.
Disasters are becoming complex, compounding, and cascading with cross-border origins and impacts. As the only regional funding mechanism supporting shared learning on disaster preparedness in Asia and the Pacific, the Trust Fund is uniquely positioned to catalyze action in the region to advance Early Warning for All by 2027 and build transboundary synergies.
2023 was a year of impact and strategic positioning for the Trust Fund. Two programmes of work are ongoing, dedicated to near-field tsunami preparedness in the North West Indian Ocean, and impact-based forecasting and warning services in high-risk low-capacity countries across the region. Two strategic studies have also been commissioned to assess regional tsunami preparedness and evaluate the long-term socio-economic impacts of Trust Fund interventions.
Coming up to 20 years since the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Trust Fund will continue to mobilize support to implement a regional strategy to achieve early warnings for all.
This Annual Report will highlight the 2023 achievements from the two ongoing programmes of work as well as the advocacy engagements that have been instrumental in ensuring investments continue to address the regional gaps in multi-hazard early warning value chains, the critical link between global innovation and local action.