DARAJA Early Warning Service & Partnership

We deliver a proven, community-led early warning service and partnership that turns climate intelligence into life-saving action at scale.

The problem we solve

Early warnings exist, but they are not reaching the people most at risk.

Every year, climate hazards affect billions of people worldwide – yet billions in the Global South remain excluded from early warning systems, especially those without access to smartphones or reliable internet. This “last-mile” failure means forecasts do not translate into action where it matters most.

Resurgence developed DARAJA to close this gap. We ensure early warnings reach, are understood by, and are trusted by vulnerable communities.

Our impact

We enable 12 million+ people across 8 countries, in climate stressed cities and conflict zones, to receive and act on early warnings, extending national system coverage beyond the digital divide.

What we deliver

A system that connects every actor that makes early warning work

DARAJA, meaning “bridge”, links national meteorological agencies with the communities that must act, alongside civil protection, humanitarian agencies, infrastructure operators, media, telecoms, and local organisations.

Community-Centred Design

Using tools we have pioneered ourselves, such as climate information ecosystems mapping, we track how communities access and use climate information, then co-design products, channels, and feedback loops to ensure warnings are trusted and actionable.

Multi-Channel Communication

We deliver alerts through SMS, radio, voice, schools, and community networks, ensuring warnings reach people through channels they already use and trust.

Meteorological Integration

We work directly with national agencies to ensure every warning is scientifically accurate and reliable. We work with all our partners to embed our early warning service into existing national and local infrastructure.

Evidence of Impact

We work with economists to measure impact across a set of key indicators critical to determining whether forecasts and early warnings are serving communities in ways that protect lives, livelihood and property.

Scalable and Replicable

We design our service to be adapted and scaled across cities, regions, and countries.

How it works

Phase 1

Data & User Mapping

We work with community organisations and national meteorological services to understand how communities access, interpret, and contextualise weather and climate data.

Phase 2

Co-design, Translation, & Integration

We co-develop forecast products in local contexts into clear, actionable messages tailored to specific risks, use preferred, communication channels, and partnerships across the system.

Phase 3

Preparedness & Delivery

We co-create with our community partners preparedness plans that align with city and national plans, developing locally appropriate action thresholds. The system we develop disseminates warnings through trusted, multi-channel networks including SMS, radio, and community groups triggering planned protective action.

Phase 4

Action & Feedback

We support communities to receive, act on, and provide feedback, continuously strengthening the system over time.

DARAJA is not known so much as Weather Mtaani in my community, but DARAJA came through as a saviour to people’s lives and how they were living. And it has prevented them from losing their property and losing their lives.

James Kirika

Laini Saba resident

“We monitor rainfall and drainage levels. When thresholds are reached, we send alerts to DARAJA Climate Champions, who share them with the community. This collaboration ensures forecasts are not just data, but life‑saving information.”

Dr. Isaac Mugume

Assistant Commissioner, Forecasting Services, Department of Meteorological Services, Uganda

“Before DARAJA, floods used to take lives. Children could not go to school. And for us women we fell sick. Every time we stepped into the flood water, we contracted Bilharzia, plus urinary tract infections. We also suffered from Cholera.”

Allen Kyomuhendo

Community Resident, Katogo Zone, Kawempe Division, Bwaise, Kampala, Uganda

“When you want to start a project like DARAJA you need to involve all those important stakeholders, especially from the city authorities and the community. Because we need to have community involvement from the beginning.”

Prudensiana Luckago

Community Development Officer, Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) Tanzania

“We worked with residents to map safe routes and rescue points. This participatory approach ensures the plan reflects local knowledge and lived experience.”

Catherine Nimusiima

ACTogether Uganda, DARAJA Project Manager

“Personally, I was not seeing weather information as an important part of my day-to-day life before DARAJA. At school we had low attendance of students about more than approximately 10% per each class during the rainy season because most of the students live in this flood plain or lower Msimbazi basin but we did not foresee that, by just following and using detailed or advanced weather information, we could boost and maintain students’ attendance at school and contribute to a better academic performance. We learnt this through the DARAJA project.”

Esther Lugulu

School teacher at Gilman Rutihinda Primary School located at Kigogo Mbuyuni, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

“I look forward to working with Resurgence and DARAJA, and all stakeholders to provide the best available science necessary for addressing climate change challenges particularly in developing countries.”

Dr. Ladislaus Chang’a

Vice Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Acting Director, Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA)

Credit: The Chanzo Reporter

“DARAJA is an iconic example of radical, disruptive collaboration in climate services for the urban poor.”

Dr. Aditya V. Bahadur

Director, Red Cross Climate Centre

Credit: Finnish Red Cross

“That’s what DARAJA means to me — it’s about connection, because that’s what bridges do. As an implementer and partner in DARAJA, in Nairobi, we want to scale it up and ensure it continues to connect diverse communities across the region. When a woman in a slum can challenge a planning professional, we know we’ve made progress.”

Regina Opondo

Senior Community Principal, Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI)

“Governance and trust are as essential as protocols — without trust, the most vulnerable will not act on warnings.”

Sheela Patel

Climate Champions Global Ambassador; Founder, Slum Dwellers International (SDI)

Credit: IISD

“DARAJA is now part of Kampala’s disaster planning. It shows how city authorities and communities can work hand in hand.”

Henry Bwire

The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Kawempe division

“We have unpredictable weather. We have fishermen going out at night and then they have to rush back. But now they’re getting the weather forecasts, it tells them a little ahead of time what weather to expect. So now they will be more prepared.”

Nadine Earle

BReTCAT (DARAJA Replicator Model) community stakeholder, Jamaica

“The nature of DARAJA requires some sort of partnership, so strengthening the partnership with the private sector is one of our approaches to solving the problem. The other approach is bringing the community on board to understand and give value to the climate information.”

Tarekegn Abera

Executive Officer, Ethiopian Meteorology Institute (EMI)

“When we hear the warning, I tell my mother to pack our bag. We keep water, food, and documents ready.”

Primary school student participant, DARAJA Kampala service

Bwaise, Kampala, Uganda

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