Assessment of Early Warning Systems in Afghanistan: Avalanches and Flash Floods in Shighnan District of Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan

The residents of Shighnan district of Afghanistan live on the ridges of high mountains, putting them at greater danger of climate-related natural disasters such as avalanches, landslides, and floods. Case study author, Nazir Safi, focuses on the power of community developed and implemented early warning systems as a critical element of climate risk management. Current efforts to implement a community-based early warning system while not without challenges have had important successes in Shighnan district. After evaluating the current state and efficacy of the community based early warning systems he identifies key challenges to their impact and efficacy including: Limitations in the mobile network coverage and, the need to establish trust in the accuracy of the information as well as confidence that the evacuation centers would be able to meet their needs.