IP4EWS is an international research and education partnership led by the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI). The project aims to strengthen early warning systems for climate-driven natural hazards, with a particular focus on rural and remote mountain communities.
Across Norway, Canada and India, IP4EWS brings together geoscientists, engineers, social scientists, authorities and local stakeholders to improve how natural hazards are assessed, monitored, communicated and managed. The project combines research, higher education and capacity building to support more effective and user-centred early warning systems.
IP4EWS is funded by the Research Council of Norway through the INTPART programme and runs from 2026 to 2029.
Climate change is increasing both the frequency and severity of natural hazards such as landslides, floods, debris flows and avalanches. These impacts are often strongest in mountain regions, where steep terrain, changing precipitation patterns and limited infrastructure combine to create high risk.
While early warning systems exist in many countries, they are often developed at national or regional scales and may not adequately reflect local conditions, vulnerabilities or response capacity. In rural and remote communities, this can limit the usefulness of warnings and reduce trust in the systems.
IP4EWS addresses this challenge by focusing on early warning systems that are:
The project builds on NGI’s long-standing work on natural hazards and risk, including the Norwegian research project Beredt!, which develops scalable services and governance models for climate-driven natural hazards in Norway.
IP4EWS is organised around four closely linked thematic pillars that together cover the full early warning value chain.
This pillar focuses on understanding and monitoring natural hazards in mountain regions, including compound and cascading events and the impacts of climate change.
Host country: Norway (2026)
This pillar addresses the development of forecasting models, monitoring technologies and data workflows, with particular attention to downscaling warnings to local and community-relevant levels.
Host country: Canada (2027)
This pillar supports the transition from hazard-based to impact-based warnings by integrating hazard information with data on exposure, vulnerability and consequences.
Host country: India (2028)
Running throughout the project period, this pillar focuses on education, training, stakeholder engagement and the integration of early warning systems into disaster risk governance at local, national and international levels.
Education and training are central to IP4EWS. The project develops new learning formats that combine theory, field experience and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Through these activities, IP4EWS aims to strengthen competence across disciplines and sectors, and to educate the next generation of experts in early warning systems and climate risk.
Norway:
Canada:
India:
Global:
IP4EWS will contribute to:
By combining research excellence with education and practical application, IP4EWS supports more resilient societies in the face of a changing climate.
Across Norway, Canada and India, IP4EWS brings together geoscientists, engineers, social scientists, authorities and local stakeholders to improve how natural hazards are assessed, monitored, communicated and managed. The project combines research, higher education and capacity building to support more effective and user-centred early warning systems.
IP4EWS is funded by the Research Council of Norway through the INTPART programme and runs from 2026 to 2029.
Climate change is increasing both the frequency and severity of natural hazards such as landslides, floods, debris flows and avalanches. These impacts are often strongest in mountain regions, where steep terrain, changing precipitation patterns and limited infrastructure combine to create high risk.
While early warning systems exist in many countries, they are often developed at national or regional scales and may not adequately reflect local conditions, vulnerabilities or response capacity. In rural and remote communities, this can limit the usefulness of warnings and reduce trust in the systems.
IP4EWS addresses this challenge by focusing on early warning systems that are:
The project builds on NGI’s long-standing work on natural hazards and risk, including the Norwegian research project Beredt!, which develops scalable services and governance models for climate-driven natural hazards in Norway.
IP4EWS is organised around four closely linked thematic pillars that together cover the full early warning value chain.
This pillar focuses on understanding and monitoring natural hazards in mountain regions, including compound and cascading events and the impacts of climate change.
Host country: Norway (2026)
This pillar addresses the development of forecasting models, monitoring technologies and data workflows, with particular attention to downscaling warnings to local and community-relevant levels.
Host country: Canada (2027)
This pillar supports the transition from hazard-based to impact-based warnings by integrating hazard information with data on exposure, vulnerability and consequences.
Host country: India (2028)
Running throughout the project period, this pillar focuses on education, training, stakeholder engagement and the integration of early warning systems into disaster risk governance at local, national and international levels.
Education and training are central to IP4EWS. The project develops new learning formats that combine theory, field experience and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Through these activities, IP4EWS aims to strengthen competence across disciplines and sectors, and to educate the next generation of experts in early warning systems and climate risk.
Norway:
Canada:
India:
Global:
IP4EWS will contribute to:
By combining research excellence with education and practical application, IP4EWS supports more resilient societies in the face of a changing climate.
