The Common Alerting Protocol, Milestones of Early Warnings for All
New approaches are accelerating adoption of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard
New approaches are accelerating adoption of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and other alerting authorities, promoting the dissemination of CAP alert messages. The use of a new CAP Composer tool, facilitation of training by regional trainers, peer-to-peer exchanges of good practices and learning-by-doing are boosting CAP implementation. The CAP Composer is a user-friendly, mobile-friendly, open-source tool co-designed with alerting authorities and compliant with CAP ITU X1303 v1.2 standards to enhance CAP alert dissemination.
CAP is a standardized, all-hazards, all-media digital format for alerting and warning systems which facilitates the seamless integration of warnings across various media and technologies. CAP was officially endorsed as a recommended practice at the World Meteorological Congress (Cg-19) in 2023 and is now included in WMO Technical Regulations, WMO-No. 49 Volume I General Meteorological Standards and Recommended Practices. CAP messages are validated through the WMO Register of Alerting Authorities to ensure that the authoritative source is known. CAP is displayed on the Severe Weather Information Centre (SWIC) strengthening the Global Multi-hazard Alert System (GMAS) by expanding access to authoritative warnings regionally and globally.
In Africa, 20 countries are implementing the new CAP Composer editing tool. Of those, 2 are still in the early stages and 18 have already started to use it to issue alerts - their alerts increased from 22 in 2023 to 456 in 2024. To enhance use of the tool, a CAP Training and Implementation Workshop for Southern African countries was co-organized by the WMO as part of the WISER-EWSA project in October 2024. The workshop promoted CAP, honed skills in Impact-Based Forecast and Warning Services (IBFWS) to support early warning systems, and improved coordination and communication of warnings among key stakeholders.
In the Caribbean, a CAP Workshop Series took place in Dominica, Saint Lucia and Grenada from 27 January to 4 February, funded through the CREWS Caribbean 2.0 Project. This Workshop Series focused on the CAP standard, real-time alert formatting, IBFWS, stakeholder engagement and implementation strategies. Interactive exercises allowed participants to practice issuing CAP warnings using the newly developed CAP Composer. The “elevator pitch” recently introduced in the methodological approach for training allowed participants to better communicate the knowledge gained on CAP. The representatives of the NMHS and diverse stakeholder groups – the media, national disaster managers, water resources and sewerage management agencies, the agriculture sector, firefighters, infrastructure ministry and police – actively participated in the Workshop Series. The workshops were organized in collaboration with the NMHSs, the Caribbean Meteorological Organization and WMO, with training facilitated by experts from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and input from the Caribbean Telecommunications Union.
In the Pacific, Vanuatu received support for the implementation of IBFWS through the CREWS Pacific SIDS 2.0 Project. This has permitted the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) to work the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) to enhance knowledge of IBFWS, improve institutional collaboration and integrate CAP into operational forecasting services.
In the Americas, the WMO Workshop on IBFWS and CAP, held in Spanish from 9–13 December 2024, in Santiago, Chile, provided an opportunity for participants from 16 countries in WMO Regions III (South America) and IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) to engage in practical CAP exercises. The workshop facilitated peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and capacity building and strengthened the regional network between Argentina, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), International telecommunications Union (ITU), United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and The Caribbean, Google, AlertHub.org and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) also participated in the workshop.
Global developments for the sustainability of CAP continues with the exchange of CAP warnings on the WMO Information System 2.0 (WIS 2.0) and the development of the CAP Composer enabling real-time, low-latency alert dissemination. Additionally, the WMO CAP Online Self-Paced eCourse is undergoing a significant transformation. The revised course will feature more interactive elements and provide tailored content for diverse audiences, from technical specialists to policymakers. The re-development process involves input from key partners including WMO, MeteoAlarm, IFRC and ITU to promote relevance, comprehensiveness and accessibility.
IBFWS and CAP are key approaches promoted by WMO in the implementation of Early Warnings for All. Timely and reliable impact-based CAP warnings support informed decision-making that saves lives and livelihoods, reduces damage and enhances community preparedness and response. WMO, and its international and regional partners, are dedicated to supporting its widespread adoption. Through continuous training, capacity building activities and technological advancements, CAP is paving the way for a safer, more resilient future where everyone is protected by timely and actionable early warnings.