Climate & resilience
Early Warning Systems Cut Disaster Deaths but One‑Third of Nations Remain Unprotected
While 136 countries now report multi‑hazard early warning systems, a third still lack any, leaving millions vulnerable as climate risks intensify.
American Impact Alliance News Desk2 minute read
Progress and Measurable Impact
The latest UNDRR and WMO report shows that 136 countries—about 70 % of the world—now have multi‑hazard early warning systems, 17 more than in March 2025. Nations with substantial to comprehensive systems experience disaster‑related mortality that is 6.1 times lower and see 3.2 times fewer people affected. Real‑world examples illustrate the benefit: after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued alerts within ten minutes, prompting Japan to evacuate approximately 1.9 million people. In Ecuador’s Galápagos islands, more than 2,300 residents were moved from high‑risk zones hours before about 1.3‑metre waves arrived, and in Madagascar, door‑to‑door visits reached between 80,000 and 100,000 people ahead of Cyclone Gezani.
Persistent Gaps in the Most Vulnerable Regions
Despite these gains, one in three countries still lack any early warning system, a shortfall concentrated in least‑developed nations, small island developing states and conflict‑affected areas. UN Secretary‑General António Guterres highlighted that these regions contributed the least to the climate crisis yet bear its earliest and harshest impacts. Disparities extend to observation capacity: some European nations operate more weather stations meeting global standards than the entire continent of Africa combined, limiting the ability to detect hazards such as the current El Niño, which experts warn could exceed existing monitoring charts in the near future.
Funding, Anticipatory Action and Future Priorities
Since 2022, roughly $2 billion has been mobilised to support early warning systems, with about 160 countries receiving assistance. However, Guterres stresses that financing must cover the entire warning chain—from forecasting to communication tools and community volunteers. In 2025, 146 anticipatory action activations across 54 countries reached an estimated 9.6 million people, demonstrating the growing capacity to act before disasters strike. The UN calls for three priorities: making warnings a permanent public service, closing financing and capacity gaps, and shifting from fragmented projects to coordinated, long‑term, country‑led plans. These steps aim to ensure that every community receives timely alerts, reducing loss of life and livelihoods.