On the occasion of World Meteorological Day, the United Nations announced that it wanted to generalize to the entire globe within five years the early warning systems against extreme meteorological phenomena.
These systems consist of strengthening the dissemination of information in the event of a risk of natural or climatic disaster. “An early warning system for floods, droughts, heat waves, or storms, is an integrated system that provides warning of the approach of dangerous weather conditions, and sheds light on what public authorities , the community and individuals can do to lessen the shock of their impending effects.
Since the 1960s, the United Nations has worked together with other regional organizations and governments around the world to coordinate warning systems for disasters, especially for natural and climatic disasters, but also for diseases likely to spread in the world, crises of famines, invasions of insects etc.
60% of the African population not covered by a warning system
Being warned twenty-four hours in advance of the arrival of a storm or a heat wave can reduce the damage by almost a third, say some experts.
According to the UN, “a third of the world’s population, mostly in least developed countries and small island developing states, is still not covered by early warning systems. In Africa, the situation is even worse: 60% of people are not covered”. At the same time, “the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will increase as global warming increases,” the organization warned in a statement.
Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, therefore asked the World Meteorological Organization on Wednesday to present an action plan by the end of the year to generalize global systems. This hedging plan is expected to cost around $1.5 billion. A sum well invested, according to the organization, which believes that the damage caused by disasters and extreme natural phenomena actually cost much more.