Statement by Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, President of WMO, on the occasion of World Meteorological Day 2025
On World Meteorological Day, March 23, 2022, the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres announced a landmark commitment:
“The United Nations will take the lead in new actions to ensure that everyone on the planet is protected by early warning systems within the next five years.”
Early Warnings For All seeks to reach everyone with early warning systems by the end of 2027.
We are now at the halfway point and much progress has been made. As of end of 2024, 108 countries report having some capacity for multi-hazard early warning systems. This is more than double the 52 countries in 2015.
However much remains to be done.
Today, I emphasize three critical gaps that we must continue to must be address through strengthened collective efforts.
1. Bridging the Capacity Gap Among WMO Members
There are still significant capacity gaps among WMO Members. On behalf of the World Meteorological Organization, I call upon global stakeholders—including the UN, international and regional development agencies, and national governments—to work together by providing the necessary resources and support to help these vulnerable nations establish effective early warning systems as soon as possible.
2. Closing the Technical and Collaboration Gap Within WMO
The rapid advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence is transforming meteorological forecasting and disaster monitoring. Leading global centers, such as ECMWF, and several NMHSs have already integrated AI into their operational systems. However, disparities remain among WMO Members technical capacity to take advantages of these rapid and exciting advancements.
I urge all WMO constituent bodies—particularly the Technical Commissions, Research Board, and Regional Associations—to work together to bridge these collaboration and technical gaps. By embracing emerging technologies like AI, we can develop new standards, guidelines, and best practices that will empower all Members, especially those most vulnerable, to enhance disaster monitoring, early warning, and forecasting, particularly for extreme weather events.
In this regard, I also call for strengthened strategic guidance, progress oversight, and high-level coordination from Congress and the Executive Council to ensure WMO’s strongest contribution to the UN Early Warnings for All initiative.
3. Strengthening Collaboration Across the Four Pillars of Early Warning Systems
The Early Warnings for All initiative is built upon four foundational pillars:
- Disaster Risk Knowledge and Management – jointly led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and WMO.
- Detection, Observation, Monitoring, Analysis, and Forecasting – led by WMO.
- Warning Dissemination and Communication – led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- Preparedness and Response Capabilities – led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Numerous other UN and international organizations also play a crucial role in the development of early warning systems. The Early Warnings for All initiative is a groundbreaking effort that not only advances technical early warning capabilities but also fosters stronger cooperation across these four pillars. The goal is to create a fully integrated UN value chain together—saving lives and mitigating economic losses.
At the national level, it is equally important to close collaboration gaps among government agencies. True disaster risk reduction and prevention can only be achieved through well-coordinated, multi-sectoral early warning systems. I urge WMO and its Members to proactively engage with relevant UN organizations, international partners, and national agencies to develop comprehensive and effective early warning systems. Furthermore, NMHSs should actively promote the significant economic and social benefits of early warning systems to their governments and the public.
Conclusion
Early Warnings for All make economic sense. On a global scale, every US$ 1 invested in early warnings is estimated to result in US$ 9 in net economic benefits. In some regions it’s even higher.
I sincerely encourage all WMO Members to intensify their efforts and achieve significant progress in Closing the Early Warning Gap Together. Through enhanced collaboration, innovation, and commitment, we can build a safer and more resilient world for all.
