KUALA LUMPUR - Bernama reported that an end-to-end early warning system is essential to reduce disaster-related losses across Southeast Asian countries, said Dr Masahiko Horie, a former Japanese ambassador to Malaysia.

Southeast Asia remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions, with floods, typhoons, earthquakes and landslides frequently triggering large-scale displacement. 

In recent decades, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) shows, disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and recurring monsoon floods across Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have forced millions from their homes, exposing gaps in preparedness and risk communication.

These displacement crises have highlighted the need for systems that not only detect hazards early but also ensure timely, clear, and actionable warnings reach vulnerable communities.

Horie, now an adjunct professor at Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIT), University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), noted that such systems must be people-centred, responsive to local conditions, and designed with human needs in mind.

He said the system should combine hazard detection, monitoring, and forecasting using sensors and satellites, with alerts sent via SMS, TV, radio, and sirens, supported by community response and preparedness measures.

“In many cases in Asia, system failures seem to occur due to poor decision-making, inconsistent risk communication and weak governance. 

“Systems often fail because of a lack of understanding, limited human resources and knowledge,” he said during the Bernama World programme on Bernama TV on Tuesday.

Horie said Southeast Asian countries can learn from Japan’s advanced disaster management technology, which covers mapping, monitoring, early warning, and prevention.

“Disaster technologies can be fully utilised in the phases of preparedness and prevention before an event, response during the event, and recovery and rehabilitation afterwards. 

“Cost-effectiveness, rapid mobilisation, ease of use and high impact are the indicators of better humanised Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) technology,” he said.

He highlighted the value of nature-based solutions, citing Japan’s Satoyama initiative, which combines environmental conservation with disaster mitigation and has in many cases proven more effective than concrete infrastructure alone.

Horie added that DRR technologies use digital tools like AI, satellites, drones, IoT sensors, and GIS for hazard prediction, early warning, damage assessment, and resource allocation.

By integrating data from social media, remote sensing, and ground sensors, these technologies can shift disaster management from reactive response to proactive prevention, enabling faster information sharing, comprehensive risk assessment, and stronger community resilience, he said.