Community-based early warning systems in a changing climate: an empirical evaluation from coastal central Vietnam

Abstract

Climate-related hazards severely threaten human lives and livelihoods and are projected to increase due to global warming. Early warning systems are essential in mitigating losses, and community-based early warning systems (CBEWS) aim to empower at-risk communities for better preparedness and response. Though CBEWS have been implemented in several countries, the assessment of their effectiveness remains limited. To address this research gap, we assess existing CBEWS practices in the Thua Thien Hue (TTH) province in Central Vietnam in terms of community capacity and the process of establishing CBEWS. We use qualitative data from focus group discussions (FGDs) in six coastal communes with 133 participants representing different community groups. FGD results were transcribed and processed with the software Nvivo12. The findings reveal that CBEWS have significantly improved disaster risk reduction efforts and promoted the active participation of communities in TTH. However, there is also evidence of insufficient communities capacities and ownership. Gaps in the establishment of CBEWS stem from constraints in community engagement and investments in the system at the grassroots level. Findings further show that long-term political and financial commitment from the government and an enabling environment for community commitment, rather than the support from outsiders, determine the sustainability of CBEWS.