Guterres calls for global funding of multihazard early warning systems

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told delegates at a World Meteorological Organization conference in Geneva on Wednesday that global warming is pushing the planet to the brink and called for immediate investment in global early warning systems to protect people from increasingly frequent extreme weather. He said every one of the past ten years has been the hottest on record, ocean heat is reaching unprecedented levels and no country is safe from fires, floods, storms and heatwaves.

Guterres urged member states to mobilize funding for a worldwide system of surveillance and alerts known as multihazard Early Warning Systems, an initiative he launched in 2022 with the goal of having such systems in all countries by 2027. More than 60 percent of countries have introduced these systems since the initiative began, he said, and receiving notice 24 hours before a hazardous event can reduce damage by up to 30 percent. "They give farmers the power to protect their crops and livestock. Enable families to evacuate safely. And protect entire communities from devastation," he said.

The World Meteorological Organization reported that over the past five decades weather, water...