An expert on Tuesday identified mobile telephone and community radio as veritable channels Flood Early Warning System, FEWS and other disasters.

 Dr Abdourahman Maki, Researcher, Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (CPAC) said this on the sidelines of the ongoing 6th Africa Water Week (AWW) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

 Maki said early warning systems should be set up to avoid or reduce the impact of natural hazards such as such as floods, landslides, storms, and forest fires.

 He said early warning system was a major element of disaster risk reduction, which could help in preventing loss of life and property.

 According to him, this also will ensure there is a constant state of preparedness.

 Maki said the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has developed a mobile telephone application (app) known as “IGAD-ASIGN”, through which mobile phone owners have an opportunity to contribute toward disaster preparedness.

 This, he said, would be made possible when photographs of given geographical situation, in relations to an impending or a particular disaster, were sent to the application.

 ``The photos taken by volunteers are used as field validation of IGAD and other partners’ satellite image analyses, thus contributing to accurate and efficient disaster risk reduction solutions.

 ``This has helped vulnerable countries in the Greater Horn of Africa region to make better and faster decisions,’’ he said.

 Maki cited the RANET radio networks operated by the Meteorological Department in Kenya, which allows farmers and residents to access climate related information via community based radio stations.

 ``RANET is an international collaboration of meteorological Department in Kenya, working to improve rural and remote community access to weather, climate and related information,” he said.

 He said in two years, RANET community radio in Western Kenya, had become a valuable asset to the community, providing accurate information on climate.

 The 6th Africa Water Week aspires to lay the building blocks for Africa to achieve the SDG 6 as well as other inter-linking SDGs connected with water resources management