Fast-tracking global Early Warnings systems.

A global initiative to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected by early warnings by 2027 is being fast-tracked into action on the ground.

Petteri Taalas

Early Warning Systems provide more than a tenfold return on investment. Just 24 hours' notice of an impending hazardous event can cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent. The Global Commission on Adaptation found that spending just US$800 million on such systems in developing countries would avoid losses of $3 to 16 billion per year.

Prof. Petteri Taalas

WMO Secretary-General

A recent record-breaking tropical cyclone in Southeast Africa once again shows the paramount importance of these services to save lives and livelihoods from increasingly extreme weather and climate events.

To aid this work, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has convened an Advisory Panel of leaders of UN agencies, multilateral development banks, humanitarian organizations, civil society, insurance and IT companies in March. 2023

The aim is to inject more political, technological and financial clout to ensure that Early Warnings for All becomes a reality for everyone, everywhere.

The months ahead will see stepped up coordinated action, initially in 30 particularly at-risk countries, including Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. Additional countries are expected to be added as this vital work with partners gathers pace, scale and resourcing.

At the same time, the UN's existing actions and initiatives to save lives and livelihoods and build resilience across a wide range of other countries will continue and be reinforced, ensuring the Early Warnings for All campaign turns its pledges into life-saving reality on the ground for millions of the most vulnerable people.

The Advisory Panel meeting will consider advancing the 4 key Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) pillars

Background to the Early Warnings initiative

The Early Warnings For All Initiative (EW4All) was formally launched by the UN Secretary-General in November 2022 at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh.

The Initiative calls for the whole world to be covered by an early warning system by the end of 2027.

Early Warnings for All is co-led by WMO and UNDRR and supported by pillar leads ITU and IFRC. Implementing partners are: FAO, OCHA, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, REAP, and WFP.

The Advisory Panel will monitor and report on the progress against the achievement of the goal to the UN Secretary-General, and has the following objectives:

Assess progress of the Early Warnings for All initiative against its goals and targets

Build political and overall momentum and support for the Early Warnings for All initiative

Provide overall recommendations for the mobilization of...