Baku, Azerbaijan: A flagship campaign to ensure universal access to life-saving early warning systems is gaining momentum, but vulnerable nations continue to bear the brunt of climate disasters, leaders stressed at COP29. The high-level event spotlighted the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, which aims to protect everyone from hazardous weather and climate events by 2027.
“This year is on track to be the hottest in history, marked by record-breaking heatwaves, rains, and deadly droughts,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Early warning systems are no longer a luxury; they are a necessity and a sound investment, with a ten-fold return.”
COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev highlighted that effective early warning systems could avert losses of up to $16 billion annually. Leaders from countries like Ethiopia, the Maldives, and Greece shared how floods, droughts, and fires have devastated their nations, emphasizing the need for urgent investment in hydrometeorological capacities and impact-based forecasting.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reflected on the tragic toll of wildfires in his country, echoing the event’s call for global collaboration. “The climate crisis demands a whole-of-society approach,” said Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). “National Meteorological and Hydrological Services are the cornerstone of early warning systems.”
The event drew leaders, donors, and technology experts, underscoring the urgency to integrate early warning systems into global climate strategies and strengthen resilience in the face of escalating climate extremes.