Early Warning Systems Expand Globally but Gaps Persist, UN Report Finds

The report urges urgent investment and coordinated action to close these divides and safeguard communities from rising climate hazards.

A groundbreaking report released by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reveals that the number of countries with Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) has hit a record 119 countries in 2025—representing 60% of all nations globally. This marks a 113% increase over the past decade and signals significant global progress toward achieving the UN’s "Early Warnings for All" initiative, which aims to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027.

Despite this milestone, the Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems 2025 report, launched at the COP30 Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, underscores that critical gaps remain, especially among the most vulnerable populations. The report urges urgent investment and coordinated action to close these divides and safeguard communities from rising climate hazards.

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Comprehensiveness Up, But Unequal

Since 2015, the overall comprehensiveness of early warning systems has improved by 45% on average, reflecting significant upgrades in how nations forecast, communicate, and respond to disasters. Africa leads in improvement with a 72% boost in comprehensiveness, yet still holds the lowest regional scores, highlighting persistent disparities.

Four pillars define a comprehensive early warning system:

1. Risk Knowledge

2. Monitoring and Forecasting

3. Warning Dissemination and Communication

4. Preparedness and Response Capabilities

The report stresses that having a system is not enough—all four pillars must be strong and functional. Least Developed Countries (LDCs), while improving, still report the lowest performance across these areas.

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Vulnerable Regions Left Behind

Coverage gaps are most visible in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where only 43% report having Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems. Similarly, Americas and Caribbean coverage lags at 51%, compared to 72% in Asia-Pacific, the region with the highest coverage.

“Disasters are neither natural nor inevitable,” said Kamal Kishore, Head of UNDRR. “Even in the face of the growing climate crisis, we can stop the spiral of loss—but only if we scale up risk reduction investments and deliver early warnings for all.”

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New and Escalating Threats

The report highlights emerging hazards such as:

• Extreme heat

• Wildfires

• Glacial lake outburst floods

These evolving threats are outpacing existing warning systems, making current models inadequate in many regions. In response, UNDRR and WMO launched a new Extreme Heat Risk Governance Framework and Toolkit, developed with the Global Heat Health Information Network. This offers practical guidance to help governments address escalating temperature risks with improved coordination and response.

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The Power of Early Warnings

According to the report, countries with high-functioning early warning systems experience six times fewer disaster-related deaths than those with limited capabilities.

“Without early warnings, the loss of life from recent disasters in Jamaica, the Philippines, and Viet Nam would have been far worse,” noted Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the WMO.

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Strengthening the Weakest Link: Risk Knowledge

Only one-third of countries currently report capabilities in risk knowledge, the foundational pillar for disaster readiness. While this area saw a 16% improvement since 2022, it remains the most underdeveloped globally. The launch of the DELTA Resilience disaster tracking system is expected to enhance data collection and risk profiling in the coming years.

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Encouraging Signs: Early Action and Community Engagement

The Arab States region showed a dramatic rise in pre-emptive evacuations, indicating growing reliance on early action. The report also emphasizes the importance of people-centered, locally led warning systems, which enhance trust, cultural relevance, and effective communication.

“Effective early action stems from communication and community trust. Systems co-developed with local input yield far better outcomes,” the report says.

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Financing and Technology Divide Threatens Progress

While international funding for early warning infrastructure is increasing, the report warns that:

• Funding is often short-term and project-based, failing to support long-term system maintenance.

• A growing digital divide is limiting access to technology-dependent alerts and communication tools, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

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A Call to Action

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning:

“The climate crisis is accelerating. Record-breaking wildfires, deadly floods, and super storms are shattering lives, economies, and decades of development. We must drastically increase investments in resilience and ensure early warnings reach everyone by 2027.”

To meet this goal, the report calls for:

• Targeted investments in the most at-risk countries

• Strengthening national risk governance

• Localised solutions tailored to cultural and socioeconomic contexts

• Greater international collaboration and data sharing

A Race Against Time

While the world has made impressive strides in expanding early warning systems, millions still remain unprotected. As climate-induced disasters intensify, the next two years will be crucial to closing the coverage gap and building a truly resilient global safety net.

“The tools exist. The knowledge exists. What’s needed now is the political and financial will to protect every person on this planet,” the report concludes.