The Community early warning systems: guiding principles is one of a set of guides prepared by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), along with the guides for vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) and public awareness and public education. It also joins the Disaster response and contingency planning guide to provide a solid toolkit for the disaster risk reduction/management practitioner.

This guide aims to provide an overview of successful practice from the field for the disaster risk reduction/management practitioner interested in EWS. It presents guiding principles that will build a strong foundation for the design or strengthening of EWS at any level. It is not an operational, but a strategic, guide that insists on asking the right questions and exploring all perspectives prior even to deciding whether or not early warning is the appropriate tool for a given context.