Early Warnings, Science Vital to Saving Lives: Guterres

A local disaster risk reduction committee member communicates early warning messages to residents of a village on the banks of the Licungo River in Zambezia Province, Mozambique. © WMO

A local disaster risk reduction committee member communicates early warning messages to residents of a village on the banks of the Licungo River in Zambezia Province, Mozambique.

No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.

“Early-warning systems work,” he told the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva. “They give farmers the power to protect their crops and livestock, enable families to evacuate safely, and protect entire communities from devastation.”

“We know that disaster-related mortality is at least six times lower in countries with good early-warning systems,” the UN chief added.

He noted that just 24 hours’ notice before a hazardous event can reduce damage by up to 30 per cent.

In 2022, Mr. Guterres launched the Early Warnings for All initiative, aiming to ensure that “everyone, everywhere” is protected by an alert system by 2027.

Progress has been made, with more than half of all countries now reportedly equipped with multi-hazard early-warning systems. The world’s least developed countries have nearly doubled their capacity since official reporting began — “but we have a long way to go,” the UN chief acknowledged.

At a special meeting of the World Meteorological Congress earlier this week, countries endorsed an urgent Call to Action to close the remaining gaps in surveillance.

Extreme weather worsens

WMO head Celeste Saulo, who has been urging a scale-up in early-warning system adoption, warned that the impacts of climate change are accelerating, as “more extreme weather is destroying lives and livelihoods and eroding hard-won development gains.”

She spoke of a “profound opportunity to harness climate intelligence and technological advances to build a more resilient future for all.”

Weather-, water-, and climate-related hazards have killed more than two million people in the past five decades, with developing countries accounting for 90 per cent of the deaths, according to WMO.

Mr. Guterres stressed that for countries to “act at the speed and scale required,” a significant increase in funding will be essential.

Surge in financing

“Reaching every community requires a surge in financing,” he said. “But too many developing countries are blocked by limited fiscal space, slowing growth, crushing debt burdens, and growing systemic risks.”

He also urged action at the source of the climate crisis to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — even though that target will likely be overshot in the next few years.

“One thing is already clear: we will not be able to contain global warming below 1.5 degrees in the next few years,” Mr. Guterres warned. “The overshooting is now inevitable, which means we’re going to have a period, longer or shorter, with higher or lower intensity, above 1.5 degrees in the years to come.”

Still, “we are not condemned to live with 1.5 degrees” if there is a global paradigm shift and countries take decisive action, he said.

At the UN’s next climate change conference (COP30), to be held from 10–21 November in Belém, Brazil, countries are expected to commit to deeper emissions cuts for the next decade.

“In Brazil, leaders need to agree on a credible plan to mobilize $1.3 trillion per year by 2035 for developing countries to finance climate action,” Mr. Guterres said.

Developed countries should honour their pledge to double climate adaptation funding to $40 billion this year, while the Loss and Damage Fund must attract “substantial contributions,” he added.

Mr. Guterres also stressed the need to “fight disinformation, online harassment, and greenwashing,” referring to the UN-backed Global Initiative on Climate Change Information Integrity.

“Scientists and researchers should never fear telling the truth,” he said.

He expressed solidarity with the scientific community, noting that the “ideas, expertise, and influence” of the WMO — which marks its 75th anniversary this week — are needed now “more than ever.”