Why do we need observations?

A mountaintop observatory with a large white dome, parking lot, and several cars, surrounded by clouds and distant green hills under a blue sky.

Weather has no passport, climate knows no borders and water connects us all. The challenges are too great for anyone  to go-it-alone. Forecasts need observations from all over the planet and no single individual country can do this. Global collaboration – based on trust and data-sharing - is essential if we are to continue improving  the accuracy, lead-time and accessibility of forecasts. 

Every economic decision, every infrastructure investment, every crop planting schedule, every health, water and energy management plan, and every supply-chain adjustment is dependent on WMO’s global observing and forecasting backbone.

Extreme weather is consistently ranked as the top long-term risk by World Economic Forum business leaders and is the motivation for the UN Secretary-General’s life-saving Early Warnings For All initiative. 

This is no surprise, given that extreme weather-related hazards caused reported economic losses of US$ 4.3 trillion between 1970 and 2021, and killed nearly 2 million people.

Early warnings are not a luxury. But a necessity and they make economic sense. According to the World Bank, universal access to early warning services will prevent at least US$ 13 billion in asset losses and US$ 22 billion in well-being losses every year. Just 24 hours advance warning can reduce storm or heatwave damage by up to 30%.

The risks are increasing as rising temperatures fuel more intense heatwaves, extreme rainfall and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones. 

According to WMO’s State of the Global Climate report, 2025 was one of the world’s three warmest years on record. The past 11 years have all been the 11 warmest. Record concentrations of greenhouse gases will lead to higher temperatures for generations to come.

Earth observations are more important than ever to monitor the impacts of our rapidly changing climate – including land and ocean heat, melting ice and glaciers, and rising sea-levels.  They are the basis of weather and climate intelligence to inform decisions. on how to protect our economies and our communities. 

But there are big gaps in the global observing system – both on land, in the cryosphere and in the ocean – which undermine the effectiveness of our action. WMO is therefore committed to closing these gaps. 

Funding the observing network is not a cost to the taxpayer, but an investment in economic security and long-term climate resilience and a bridge between nations and generations. 

Only by observing today, can we protect tomorrow.