• Kenya allocates 5% of 2025 disaster budget to early warning systems

• UNDRR pegs 2024 climate disaster losses at $1.4B

• EW4All initiative aims for universal early warning coverage by 2027

Kenya has launched the "Early Warnings for All" (EW4All) initiative to strengthen national and community resilience against climate-related disasters. The announcement was made via a Facebook post by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests on May 21, 2025.

EW4All focuses on four pillars: improved hazard data and risk assessments, development of early warning services, communication of risk information to at-risk populations, and the enhancement of adaptive capacities at both national and community levels.

The initiative is part of a global effort launched by the United Nations and partners in 2022, which seeks to ensure that all people worldwide are covered by early warning systems by 2027.

“This is a bold and timely effort to ensure every Kenyan has access to timely, lifesaving information before disasters strike,” said Environment Minister Deborah Mlongo Barasa. She added that 5% of Kenya’s 2025 disaster risk management budget has been allocated to upgrading early warning infrastructure.

Kenya continues to face increasing climate challenges, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Flooding between March and May 2024 affected 410,000 people and caused 315 deaths. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) estimates total economic losses at $1.4 billion.

In response, the government has developed the 2024–2029 Advanced Action Roadmap and is working closely with regional institutions such as the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center to advance data-driven solutions.

Despite progress in early warning systems, authorities stress that converting climate data into actionable strategies remains a key challenge.