A group of 31 participants, all wearing light blue polo shirts and name badges, pose for a photo in a spacious indoor area with columns and greenery visible in the background.

A workshop to launch the Southwest Indian Ocean Early Warning System for Flood and Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) is taking place in the Seychelles. This initiative aims to build resilience in island nations vulnerable to extreme weather and supports the Early Warnings For All initiative.

A group of 31 participants, all wearing light blue polo shirts and name badges, pose for a photo in a spacious indoor area with columns and greenery visible in the background. The event, held from 2-5 July, is hosted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the U.S. National Weather Service, the Hydrologic Research Center, and the Seychelles Meteorological Authority.

Attendees include representatives from the National Meteorology and Hydrology Services, disaster risk management sectors, and water resources sectors from Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Experts from WMO’s Regional Specialized Meteorological Service for tropical cyclone monitoring and forecasting (La Réunion, France) and for Severe Weather Forecasting (Pretoria, South Africa) are also present to share their expertise.

The main objectives of the workshop are to:

• Initiate the implementation of the Southwest Indian Ocean Early Warning System for Flood and Flash Flood Guidance System in Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles
• Identify initial steps for implementation and priorities for action
• Initiate the FFGS data discovery process

The Southwest Indian Ocean project will span three years, providing extensive training to operational hydrometeorological forecasters. This training will enable them to generate flash flood early warning products using state-of-the-art hydrometeorological forecasting models. The project aims to enhance the capacity of NMHSs to issue effective warnings and alerts for flash floods, a significant issue in the region. It will contribute to the broader Early Warnings For All Initiative, which aims to save lives and livelihoods globally.

Flash floods are among the world’s deadliest natural disasters, with more than 5,000 lives lost annually. Accounting for approximately 85% of flooding cases, flash floods have the highest mortality rate among different types of flooding. They differ from river floods in their short time scales and occurrence on small spatial scales, making flash flood forecasting a unique challenge compared to large-river flood forecasting.

The FFGS was designed and developed for interactive use by meteorological and hydrological forecasters worldwide to address the challenge of flash floods, especially the lack of capacity to develop effective warnings. Since its inception in 2009, FFGS has made remarkable progress, now covering over 40% of the global population in more than 72 countries. By the end of 2026, it will be operational in 100 countries worldwide. The system includes modules for landslide, riverine, urban, and seasonal to sub-seasonal forecasting, along with extensive technical training programs for hydrometeorologists and disaster managers. To date, more than 1,000 experts have been trained in FFGS and flash flood forecasting.

WMO developed FFGS in partnership with the U.S. National Weather Service, the United States Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, and the Hydrologic Research Center.