Lessons from flood early warning systems

•Review of EWS from flood forecasting to end-user response.•Demonstration of the use of EWS in Europe and Africa.•Recommendations for better response to early warnings.•EWS can also deliver benefits to climate change adaptation

Success stories from the developed and developing world show that EWS are a useful tool to save lives, prevent damage and enhance the resilience of a society. Despite the substantial technical progress, from an operational point of view, major challenges remain to achieve the potential benefits of EWS, in particular in communicating risk information and early warnings to emergency services and the population at-risk and consequently trigger response actions.Case studies from Europe (Belgium) and Africa (Egypt, Mali) demonstrate the actual use of EWS for flood emergency response. Recommendations are consequently provided to better trigger a response from stakeholders at all levels and across sectors (authorities and at-risk population) and to realise benefits that go beyond flood risk reduction, but also address climate change adaptation.