COP27: UN launches $ 3.1 billion plan to achieve early warning system in next five years

Sharm El-Sheikh: As the climate related disasters displacing more people than conflict, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday unveiled “The Executive Action Plan for the Early Warning for All” at COP27 to ensure everyone on the planet is protected by early warning within the next five year.

The UN’s action plan for the ‘Early Warnings for All’ called for initial new targeted investments of USD 3.1 billion between 2023 and 2027, equivalent to a cost of just 50 cents per person per year. 

It would cover disaster risk knowledge, observations and forecasting, preparedness and response, and communication of early warnings.

Mr. Guterres announced the plan at a meeting of government and UN organization leaders, financing agencies, Big Tech companies and the private sector during the World Leaders Summit at the UN climate change negotiations, COP27.  

The plan was drawn up by the World Meteorological Organization and partners, and it was supported by a joint statement signed by 50 countries.

“Ever-rising greenhouse gas emissions are supercharging extreme weather events across the planet. These increasing calamities cost lives and hundreds of billions of dollars in loss and damage. Three times more people are displaced by climate disasters than war. Half of humanity is already in the danger zone,” said Mr Guterres.

He said that “We must invest equally in adaptation and resilience. That includes the information that allows us to anticipate storms, heatwaves, floods and droughts”.

The Global Commission on Adaptation found that spending just US$800 million on such systems in developing countries would avoid losses of $3 to 16 billion per year.

“Early warnings save lives and provide vast economic benefits. Just 24 hours’ notice of an impending hazardous event can cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

“Such progress is only possible with modern science, sustained systematic observing networks, daily international exchange of quality data, access to high-quality early warning products, the translation of forecasts into impacts, plus advances in telecommunications,” said Prof. Taalas.

Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP27 President, said : “The science is there and clearly shows the urgency with which we must act to assist those in need of support to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change.

The UN, governments and partners will work together to achieve the early warning goal within the next five years.  

The plan summarizes the necessary initial actions and sets out the pathway to implementation. 

To ensure effective implementation, the UN Secretary-General is establishing an Advisory Board which will be co-chaired by the heads of WMO and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).