disaster or risk classification. Quantitative tools predict impact levels, thus inform the amount of response effort subsequently required. Qualitative Early Warning Tools provide an in-depth understanding of causal elements. Qualitative tools detail contextual analysis, thus provides basis for planning a response framework. Qualitative tools play a significant role in informing the appropriate response required. A functional EWS works when there are four key factors that are feeding into each other namely: risk knowledge; monitoring; response capability and warning communication as summarised by the diagram below: 15