1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
Libya is exposed to a range of climate- and weather-related hazards whose impacts can affect
communities, infrastructure, essential services and economic activities. Recent events have further
highlighted the importance of strengthening national capacities to anticipate hazardous events,
translate available climate and weather information into timely and actionable warnings, ensure that
these warnings reach exposed populations, and enable institutions and communities to act effectively
before disasters occur.
An effective Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) requires more than forecasting capacity
alone. It relies on an integrated and people-centred chain encompassing risk knowledge; monitoring,
observation and forecasting; warning generation; communication and dissemination; and
preparedness and response. It also requires clearly defined institutional mandates, effective
coordination mechanisms, appropriate data-sharing arrangements and strong links between national
institutions, local authorities and communities.
Libya already has institutions, technical capacities, observation systems and disaster-management
mechanisms that can provide important foundations for such a system. Preliminary assessments and
consultations conducted during the preparation of the proposed MHEWS project have nevertheless
identified the need to further connect and strengthen these capacities and address technical,
institutional, operational and coordination gaps across the early-warning value chain.
Against this background, Libya, with the support of the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), is
developing a project concept aimed at establishing and/or strengthening an integrated Multi-Hazard
Early Warning System for potential submission to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The proposed project is intended to contribute to enhanced climate resilience and reduced
vulnerability of populations, territories, infrastructure and socioeconomic activities through improved
climate and disaster-risk information, strengthened monitoring and forecasting capacities, timely
dissemination of actionable warnings and improved preparedness and response.
2. THE PROPOSED LIBYA MHEWS PROJECT
The proposed Libya Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) Project is being developed as a
nationally owned initiative designed to strengthen the country's capacity to anticipate, monitor and
respond to climate- and weather-related hazards.
Its overall objective is to develop an integrated, effective and people-centred early warning system
connecting national technical capacities with decision-makers, local authorities, emergency-response
actors and at-risk communities.
Based on the preliminary assessments and consultations undertaken to date, the project is expected
to address the main elements of the end-to-end early-warning value chain, including:
• Risk knowledge and information: strengthening the availability, integration and use of
information on hazards, exposure and vulnerability to support risk-informed decision-making
and prioritization.
• Observation, monitoring and forecasting: strengthening relevant observation networks,
technical capacities, forecasting systems, data management and analytical tools required for
reliable and timely hazard monitoring and prediction.
• Warning generation, communication and dissemination: improving the mechanisms through
which forecasts are translated into clear and actionable warnings and ensuring that these
warnings reach institutions, local authorities and exposed populations through appropriate
communication channels and protocols.
• Preparedness and response: strengthening the link between early warnings and anticipatory
action, emergency preparedness and response at national and local levels.
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• Institutional coordination and data governance: clarifying roles and responsibilities,
strengthening coordination mechanisms and establishing appropriate arrangements for data
exchange, interoperability and institutional cooperation across the MHEWS value chain.
The preparation of the MHEWS Concept Note is supported under the Libya Readiness II Project -
“Enhancing Institutional, Human and Technical Capacity of Libya System for Climate Finance.”
Building on the first phase of GCF Readiness support initiated in 2018, the Libya Readiness II Project
seeks to further strengthen the capacities of the NDA and relevant national stakeholders to access and
mobilize climate finance, support potential national entities in relation to GCF accreditation
requirements, strengthen stakeholder engagement and develop a pipeline of high-quality climate
projects reflecting national priorities.
Within this broader framework, support is being provided for the development of priority climate
project concepts, including the proposed MHEWS project. The Readiness support therefore provides
the enabling framework for stakeholder engagement, technical assessments, consultations and project
formulation. The proposed MHEWS project itself constitutes a separate prospective climate
investment that will be submitted to the GCF following completion of the required national and GCF
processes.
Between 13 and 15 September 2026, OSS and the NDA jointly conducted this series of technical
consultations, with the National Center of Meteorology, the National Safety Authority, the National
Center for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management, the Libyan Center for Remote Sensing and
Space Science, the Roaya Foundation and UNICEF Libya. These sessions validated the institutional
questionnaire findings, mapped existing technical and observational capacities and coordination
arrangements, and identified priority gaps along the early-warning value chain. Their outcomes now
feed into a final, multi-stakeholder consultation and validation workshop, to be held on 30 September
2026, which will consolidate these inputs, validate the resulting MHEWS project intervention areas,
and secure multi-stakeholder consensus ahead of submission of the concept note to the GCF.
3. OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP
The overall purpose of the workshop is to build a common understanding and national consensus
around the proposed Libya MHEWS project and to validate the main elements required for finalization
of the GCF Concept Note.
More specifically, the workshop will aim to:
• Present and discuss the climate and disaster-risk rationale underpinning the proposed
MHEWS project and the main findings emerging from the technical and institutional
consultations conducted to date;
• Present and discuss the proposed MHEWS project architecture, including its objective,
Theory of Change, expected results and preliminary intervention areas;
• Validate and enrich the proposed Theory of Change, results framework, priority hazard
scenarios and key project intervention areas;
• Jointly identify and validate priority technical and geographical areas for investment, taking
into account national and local priorities and the needs of vulnerable populations;
• Discuss and agree on the institutional arrangements, governance mechanisms, data-sharing
requirements and respective roles and responsibilities necessary for an effective national
MHEWS;
• Strengthen national and multi-stakeholder ownership of the proposed project; and
• Agree on the next steps towards finalization, national endorsement and submission of the
MHEWS Concept Note to the GCF.
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4. EXPECTED RESULTS
By the close of the workshop on 17 September, the consultations are expected to directly yield:
• The workshop is expected to result in:
• a shared understanding of the rationale, objectives and proposed architecture of the Libya
MHEWS project;
• validation and refinement of the proposed Theory of Change and results framework;
• an agreed set of priority hazards and technical and geographical intervention areas to be
reflected in the Concept Note;
• consolidated stakeholder recommendations on observation, forecasting, warning generation,
dissemination, preparedness and response;
• agreed principles for institutional coordination, governance, data sharing and respective
roles and responsibilities;
• strengthened national ownership of the proposed project;
• documented stakeholder recommendations to inform the final revision of the MHEWS
Concept Note; and
• an agreed roadmap for finalization of the Concept Note and completion of the relevant NDA
endorsement/no-objection and GCF submission processes.
• The institutional and technical capacity assessment and the consolidated findings of the
bilateral consultations will serve as inputs to the workshop, rather than outputs of the
workshop itself.
5. PARTICIPANTS
The participants to the consultation meetings and workshop are mainly:
● The National Designated Authority (NDA) for the GCF in Libya;
● Ministry of Environment;
● Ministry of Water Resources;
● Ministry of Planning;
● Ministry of Health;
● Ministry of Local Governance;
● Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock;
● National Center of Meteorology (NCM);
● National Safety Authority (NSA);
● National Center for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management (NCECDM);
● Libyan Center for Remote Sensing and Space Science (LCRSSS);
● Roaya Foundation;
● UNICEF Libya;
● Libyan Red Crescent;
● Local government and Priority municipalities (exemple: Derna, Benghazi, Al Jabal Al Akhdar,
Tripoli, Misrata, Zliten, Ghat, Murzuq/Fezzan);
● High Council of Local Administration;
● Roads and Bridges Authority;
● General Electricity Company of Libya;
● General Authority for Communications and Information Technology;