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Harmonisation ofEarly Warning Alert Levels

IGNITE Stage

World Conference on Disaster Risk ReductionSendai, 15 March 2015

Olaf Neussner, arken consulting, Philippines

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Published by:Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Registered officesBonn and Eschborn, Germany

Internet: www.giz.de

Author: Olaf Neussner

Implemented byarken consultingAckerstr. 11B10115 BerlinGermany

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How many Storm Hazard Alert Levels has Myanmar?

A. 9

B. 10

C. 11

D. 12

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This means to Bangladeshis:

A. Storm categories 1, 2, 3.

B. Alert, Warning, Disaster stage.

C. Gale, Storm, Cyclone.

D. No swimming; No small boats; No big ships allowed in the

ocean.

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This means to Chinese:

A. “All clear”, no more danger.

B. Second alert stage.

C. Stop outdoor collective activities.

D. Wind gusts of scale 10 expected.

The other alert stages.

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This means to the people of Hong Kong:

A. The numbers in the storm categories refer to the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale.

B. There are 10 signal levels in Hong Kong, but only 5 are displayed.

C. Gale, Storm, Cyclone, Typhoon, Hurricane.

D. 1, 3, 8, 9, 10 are taken from the Beaufort Wind Scale.

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Alert levels should be as simple as a traffic light...

...and universally understood.

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Alert levels should be the same for all hazards, because many different schemes are confusing.

Flood: 3 levels

Storm: 4 levels

Tsunami, volcano: 5 levels

(Philippines)

Same number of levels

(e.g. four)

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Alert levels should have the same colour scheme all over the world and it should reflect the most common usage of colours:

Green: go, ok, no problem

Yellow: attention, be alert

Orange: warning, prepare for action

Red: stop, danger, act

But it can involve additional colours for “all clear”.

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Alert levels should have the same symbols everywhere.

The ISO standards for tsunami danger zones, evacuation routes and centres could be an orientation.

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Illustration of a harmonized alert level system

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A project implemented by GIZ and arken consulting