GENEVA (AN) — An early warning system that would alert people worldwide to impending climate-linked extreme weather disasters gained support from the top ranks of the World Meteorological Organization.
WMO's Executive Council said Monday it agreed to a series of proposals for enacting U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres' US$3.1 billion plan to ensure that everyone on the planet gets early warnings against major weather disasters.
Guterres called for the initiative last year saying that as climate impacts worsen, it's unacceptable that a third of the world, mainly in least developed and small island developing countries, still isn't covered by early warning systems.
That's particularly true in Africa, where 60% of the continent lacks access to early warning and climate information services, according to WMO.
The council's decision mean the decision-making World Meteorological Congress will take up the proposal in May. The plan calls for rolling out a "Global Multi-Hazard Alert System" by 2025 that would provide authoritative warnings and information related to high-impact weather, water, ocean and climate events.
Effective early warning systems can reduce disaster mortality by a factor of 8 - but only 1/3 of Small Island Developing States have a multi-hazard early warning system. Today, in Barbados, @UN held the first regional launch of the #EarlyWarningsForAll Initiative. @WMO pic.twitter.com/lfyz3wHD6S
— UNDRR (@UNDRR) February 6, 2023
The GMAS system is built around national early warning systems used to quickly assess the dangers and spread the word about time in time for people to react.
But WMO also wants to raise the national standards through broader trainings, partnerships and technology sharing, and says the participation of national meteorological and hydrological services will be key to pulling it off.
Officials say the number of weather-related disasters related to extreme heat and rainfall is increasing, made worse by human-induced climate change, and that low-lying and highly populated urban areas are especially vulnerable.
That's partly why humanitarian agencies are clamoring for better early warnings.
“We have received very strong support for the Early Warnings for All initiative from developed and developing countries alike. This is a great opportunity and great challenge for our community,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas, a Finnish meteorologist.
