Early Warnings in Central Asia

It is a privilege to be closing this important discussion on strengthening early warning systems in Central Asia, a region where climate risks are no longer future threats, but present realities.

I must apologize for arriving late to this session. I arrived  in beautiful Astana only this morning and went directly to meet the President, with whom we had good discussions on the Forum and on what we need to do. But my team briefed me, and I am well aware that yesterday the Presidents of all five Central Asian countries highlighted major hazard events – devastating floods in Kazakhstan, unprecedented frequency of dust storms in Kyrgyzstan, and glacial lake outburst floods in Tajikistan, to name only a few – and challenges of water scarcity.

And we can see from our WMO State of the Climate reports that Central Asia is warming faster than the global average, with rising temperatures, increasing droughts, floods, and water stress already affecting millions of people and key economic sectors. 2025 saw repeated episodes of abnormal heat in Central Asia during the spring and summer, with record-high temperatures in Kazakhstan during that time. And in Tajikistan, the collapse of glacier tongues in September–October is a stark reminder that glacial retreat is real.

These are not isolated events. They are systemic risks that transcend borders and demand a collective response. So the question before us is not whether we act, but how we act together.

Excellencies,

We have heard today the updates from the Directors of the region’s NMHSs. We need more observations, we need to strengthen the backbone that holds the weather and climate data together. This is the engine to our work

Early warnings are one of the most powerful tools we have to save lives, protect livelihoods, and safeguard development gains.  

But early warning systems are only as strong as their weakest link, and as the cooperation that underpins them – within and across each foundational Pillar. No organisation and no country can tackle these challenges alone. Weather, climate and the water cycle do not stop at national borders. This is why regional cooperation is not optional, it is essential.  

The initiatives you have discussed today lay the foundation for sustainable and integrated regional and national early warning systems across Central Asia by:

• Strengthening collaboration among National Meteorological and Hydrological Services;  
• Advancing joint actions at national and regional level; and
• Promoting the exchange of best practices and technical expertise and capacity development.  

This is precisely the purpose of the World Meteorological Organization: to help its Members anticipate and manage the impacts of hazards through science, data, and cooperation. And it is also why the United Nations Secretary-General initiated the Early Warnings for All initiative four years ago – to accelerate the implementation and coverage of multi-hazard early warning systems.

But Early Warnings for All is not only about National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and WMO. I am so pleased to see representatives from the other Early Warnings for All Pillar leads – the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, International Telecommunication Union, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies at this Session and this Summit. And also the leadership of regional institutions such as the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction and the development of regional roadmaps to strengthen many aspects of the early warning systems.

For virtually all natural hazards, we have the scientific knowledge and technical tools to predict the hazard and warn communities. We must make sure that we do not fail to use our knowledge to save lives and protect economies.”

Last year I issued a call to action, and all WMO Members, including from this region, came together and agreed to a sweeping set of actions that we will take to enable better early warning systems - everywhere and for everybody.

I am particularly encouraged to see my key messages reflected in the Joint Statement on implementing the Early Warnings for All initiative in Central Asia:

• Expanding and modernizing observational networks, especially in the high-mountain areas of the region, with sustained investments in institutional, technical, and operational capacity. This is so important, as many countries in the region are not yet compliant with the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON).
• Championing open, free and unrestricted data sharing as a global public good, through universal implementation of the WMO Unified Data Policy, WMO Information System (WIS) 2.0 while closing the digital divide with sustained ICT investments. From our dashboards I see that there are still many gaps in the region. [Old: Strengthening regional data sharing and interoperability. Timely and accurate early warnings depend on the seamless exchange of data across countries. This requires trust, common standards, and sustained investment in observation networks, especially in data-sparse areas.]
• Scaling up impact-based forecasting and warning services that provide information on what could happen and what actions to take.
• Fully implementing the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for all hazard warnings. Share these with your neighbours e.g. through our Severe Weather Information Centre (SWIC), and through cell broadcasts.
• Harnessing innovation responsibly by expanding AI applications while ensuring accessibility and standardization, and  
• Developing scientific capacities.

I would also like to recall some of the recommendations from the Regional Partners’ Meeting on Strengthening Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and Implementing Early Warnings for All in Central Asia last year:

• Leveraging Existing Regional Coordination Platforms, Implementing Joint Projects, and Promoting Public-Private Partnerships.
• Enhancing Risk Knowledge by tracking and recording hazardous events and the losses and damages they produce in interoperable systems, using •    Ensure child and gender responsive unique event identifiers. UNDRR and WMO have developed the DELTA Resilience Tool and Cataloguing Hazardous Events (CHE) concept – please make use of them.
• Ensuring child and gender responsive early warnings that are truly co-designed and reach the so-called last mile.
• Mobilise sustainable funding through innovative tools and align investments

Let me emphasize that we need to build integrated, multi-hazard systems and overcome systemic fragmentation. Droughts, floods, heatwaves, and water scarcity are interconnected. We must move beyond single-hazard approaches and develop systems that reflect the complexity of today’s risks, including through initiatives such as the Integrated Drought Management Programme in Central Asia we are developing.

Your Excellencies,

Your Excellencies,

The Early Warnings for All initiative is more than a slogan, it is a promise of dignity, safety and prosperity. It is a new and coordinated way of working together. Let us unite to deliver Early Warnings for All – for all and with all.