In 2022, the United Nations launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative with the ambitious goal of ensuring protection from hazardous weather, water and climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.
This initiative aims to safeguard vulnerable populations worldwide as the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters continue to rise. In 2023, following the initiative’s launch, early warning systems (EWS) received the highest level of funding ever approved for comparable projects. However, this funding for early warning systems remains unevenly distributed.
According to the Global Observatory for Early Warning System Investments, 54 per cent of national early warning system investments are concentrated in just five countries— China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, significant gaps persist in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The Global Observatory, co-designed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), was launched in December 2024.
The initiative aims to track and optimise investments in early warning systems by sharing information about funding from multilateral development banks and funds currently being implemented and in the pipeline in support of early warning systems. The observatory seeks to build coherence, alignment, and increased leveraging of EWS funding while providing critical understanding of funding gaps.
This tool supports the EW4All initiative by providing crucial insights into EWS financing. For instance, it reveals that just 25 per cent of the reported EWS financing is through grants, which are not repayable. However, 75 per cent of the reported EWS financing is through loans and credits. This financial imbalance highlights the challenges faced by many nations in building resilient early warning systems.
As of February 12, 2025, the platform provides details of 329 projects across 127 countries spanning Africa (117), Asia (116), the Americas (56) and Oceania (40), funded by nine financing institutions, including the World Bank, Green Climate Fund, and Asian Development Bank. Of these projects, 276 are ongoing, while 53 are currently in the pipeline.
To prioritise resources for the most vulnerable communities, the observatory will focus on deepening collaboration with international finance institutions. It will leverage artificial intelligence to enhance analytical capabilities, enabling precise categorisation of EWS funding and supporting evidence-based decision-making.
According to the 2024 report on the Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and WMO, at least half of the countries in most regions now report the existence of MHEWS, including in the Africa region.
The highest coverage remains in the Asia and Pacific region, where two-thirds (67 per cent) of countries report the existence of MHEWS. Despite significant improvement since 2015, the Americas and Caribbean region still lags behind, with 40 per cent of countries reporting (compared with 50 per cent in the Africa region, 59 per cent in the Arab States, and 60 per cent in the Europe and Central Asia region).
As climate-related disasters increase in frequency and intensity, and extreme weather ranks as the second most severe global risk for 2025–2027, the importance of Early Warning Systems (EWS) has never been clearer.
However, with the UN’s ambitious 2027 target approaching, the success of the Early Warnings for All initiative depends on addressing the significant funding gaps that persist, especially in the world's most vulnerable nations.
Only by ensuring equitable access to financial resources can the global community ensure that early warning systems reach all those who need them, ultimately saving millions from the devastating impacts of climate change.