Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 22, 2025 Climate and environment
No country is immune to the devastating impacts of extreme weather events, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday, calling for early warning systems to be made accessible to all.
"Early warning systems work," he emphasized, speaking at a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forum in Geneva. "They enable farmers to protect crops and livestock, allow families to evacuate safely, and protect entire communities from destruction."
According to the UN Secretary-General, the mortality rate from natural disasters is at least six times lower in countries with effective early warning systems. He added that a 24-hour warning of impending disaster can reduce damage by 30 percent.
In 2022, the UN Secretary-General launched the Early Warning for All initiative, which aims to ensure that every person on the planet is protected through warning systems by 2027.
According to the WMO, more than half of the world's countries are already equipped with multipurpose early warning systems. Least developed countries have nearly doubled their capacity in this area since official reporting began, but, as Guterres noted, "there's still a long way to go."
At a special session of the World Meteorological Congress earlier this week, countries endorsed the Secretary-General's urgent call to action to address remaining gaps in the monitoring system.
Increased impacts of extreme weather
WMO chief Celeste Saulo, who advocates for the widespread implementation of early warning systems, warned that the impacts of climate change are intensifying: "Extreme weather events are devastating lives and livelihoods, undermining development gains."
She noted that today there is a real opportunity to use climate analytics and technological advances “to build a more sustainable future for all.”
According to the WMO, weather, water and climate hazards have claimed the lives of more than two million people over the past five decades, with 90 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries.
Financing and climate commitments
Antonio Guterres stressed that a significant increase in funding is needed for countries to act "at the speed and scale required."
"To reach every community, a dramatic increase in financing is needed," he said. "Too many developing countries face limited fiscal space, slowing investment growth, unsustainable debt burdens, and systemic risks."
The UN chief called for action to address the root causes of the climate crisis to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – even though he said that threshold would inevitably be exceeded in the coming years.
"It's already clear: we won't be able to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius in the coming years," Guterres warned. "Overshooting is inevitable. This means we're headed for a period—more or less prolonged and intense—with temperatures above 1.5 degrees Celsius."
However, the Secretary-General continued, humanity is “not doomed to live with warming at 1.5 degrees” if there is a global shift in attitudes towards this problem and countries take the necessary measures.
Ahead of the UN Climate Conference
At the next UN Climate Change Conference, which will take place from November 10 to 21 in Brazil, where countries must commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, "we need to be much more ambitious," Guterres said.
"In Brazil, leaders must agree on a realistic plan to mobilize $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to finance climate action in developing countries," the UN chief stressed.
Guterres called on developed countries to deliver on their pledge to double climate adaptation funding to $40 billion this year and to provide substantial contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund.
In closing his speech, the Secretary-General expressed solidarity with the scientific community and stressed that the “ideas, knowledge and influence” of WMO, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, “are needed today more than ever.”
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