Launch of INFORM Warning: Prioritising Future Crises for Early Action

Humanitarian, development and peace actors increasingly have access to data and forecasts, yet struggle to translate these into timely, operational decisions. Early warning information is often fragmented, difficult to interpret, and poorly integrated into planning and prioritisation processes, leading to delayed or reactive responses. This session marks the official launch of INFORM Warning — a new global system for forward-looking crisis risk analysis. It addresses the gap between insight and uptake through a scenario-based simulation focused on emerging crisis risks in the next 12 months. Participants will use live polling to assess forecasts, prioritise risks and make decisions on anticipatory resource allocation and planning. INFORM Warning will be introduced as a data-driven innovation that transforms complex, multi-hazard forecasts into clear analysis of how risks may evolve. The session will explore how it can support decision-making in practice, from global prioritisation to country-level planning. Corli Pretorius, Head of Research, Analytics, Learning and Innovation Team, Crisis Bureau, United Nations Development Programme Karmen Poljansek, Scientific Coordinator - INFORM, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Disaster Risk Management Unit Sepehr Marzi, Data Scientist - INFORM, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Disaster Risk Management Unit Rado Kozma, Data Scientist - INFORM, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Disaster Risk Management Unit Isabelle De Schryver, Team Leader Evidence-Based Policy, Evaluations and Reporting, European Commission DG European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) Moderator: Andrew Thow, Project Lead - INFORM Warning, United Nations Development Programme Discussant: Johannes Hengelbrock, Desk Officer for Crisis Early Warning, German Federal Foreign Office