UN Urges Global Early Warning Systems to Reduce Disaster Toll

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have highlighted the critical need for global disaster early warning systems to combat the escalating threats from climate change-induced extreme weather events. Guterres emphasized that early warning systems can reduce damage by up to 30% with just 24 hours' notice and have been shown to reduce disaster mortality by at least six times in countries where they are implemented. Despite progress, only about 60% of countries have established multi-hazard early warning systems, with significant gaps remaining especially in developing nations, where 90% of weather-related deaths occur. Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo underscored the urgency of investing in such systems, calling it an investment in hope and human dignity, while also stressing the need for innovative financing and international cooperation. The WMO reported that over 2 million lives have been lost to weather hazards in the past 50 years and stressed the importance of expanding surveillance capacity and standardized alerts globally. The collective call urges substantial climate finance, aiming for $1.3 trillion annually, to fund early warning systems and climate resilience measures by 2027 to protect vulnerable populations and infrastructure worldwide.