Early Warning for Floods and Its Importance in Strategy for Disaster Reduction

Papers summarizing "Human and Economic Impacts of Weather Events" published each year in the WMO Bulletin by S. G. Cornford [1] have shown growing importance of weatherrelated disasters within world community. Such papers are a good summary of the events, especially with respect to human and property losses related to different seasons and continents Since 1994 year when “Guidelines for Natural Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation and its Plan of Action” were adopted by the participants in the Yokohama Conference higher occurrence and losses due to natural disasters have continued despite efforts taken on all levels. It is significant that natural disasters have been occurring until recently mainly in developing countries, vulnerable to weather-related events and having simultaneously often insufficient early warning (EW) and disaster prevention systems. On the other hand, it would be interesting if the statistics and evaluations of recent natural disasters would also include an analysis of reasons for different level of losses and performance not only of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) responsible for the first stages of EW but the whole EW state systems during these events. It is also expected that a general review process helping identify gaps and means of implementation of disaster prevention will be carried out by the Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). Higher occurrence of natural disasters namely floods has been occurring in the Central European region since the mid nineties of the last century. In 1997 year the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany faced a catastrophic flooding. Since that time NMHSs, state administrations and also other bodies including National Committees for Disaster Reduction (NCs DR) have undertaken efforts to improve overall disaster prevention systems in the region.