The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday said that it will spearhead a new project to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems against extreme weather and climate-related disasters within the next five years, reported CGTN Africa.
According to the UN, one-third of the world’s people, especially in the developing small island states and least-developed countries, are without early warning coverage. The situation is worst in Africa where about 60 percent of people are wide open to weather catastrophes.
With climate breakdown, more and more people are likely to be affected by extreme weather conditions, including heatwaves, flash floods, more violent storms, and coastal storm surges, made worse by sea level rises.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said it was unacceptable that so many people were still not covered by early warning systems. He pointed out that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had recently found half of humanity was in the danger zone for climate breakdown.
The UN estimates that the plan will cost nearly, $1.5 billion, which it claims would be money well spent compared to the devastation wrought by meteorological disasters.
“The United Nations will spearhead new action to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years,” Guterres announced, launching the plan on World Meteorological Day.
Proper early warning systems for floods, droughts, heatwaves, or storms will allow people to know that hazardous weather is coming, and set out plans for what governments and individuals should do to minimize the impacts.
The UN chief said each increment of global heating will further increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
“Early warning systems save lives,” Guterres said. “Let us ensure they are working for everyone.”
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization is expected to present an action plan at the next UN climate conference, to be held in Egypt in November.
