The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, issued a warning on the escalating impact of global warming, emphasizing the urgent need for countries to establish effective disaster warning mechanisms to safeguard populations from severe weather conditions. Addressing delegates at the 75th-anniversary conference of the UN World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, Guterres highlighted that each of the past ten years has been the hottest on record, with rising ocean temperatures causing widespread ecological destruction. He stressed that no nation is immune to the threats posed by wildfires, floods, storms, and heatwaves.
Guterres called for concerted efforts by nations to secure funding for the implementation of a worldwide monitoring system, known as Early Warning Systems, designed to shield individuals from extreme weather events. Emphasizing the benefits of such systems, he noted that they empower farmers to safeguard their crops and livestock, facilitate safe evacuations for families, and shield entire communities from catastrophic outcomes. Guterres underscored the significance of receiving advance warnings, stating that being alerted 24 hours before a hazardous incident can potentially mitigate damages by up to 30 percent.
Since the launch of Guterres’ initiative in 2022 that aimed for all countries to have multi-hazard Early Warning Systems in place by 2027, more than 60 percent of nations have already introduced these crucial mechanisms to enhance preparedness and response capabilities.