Warnings need more than equipment

A WMO–UNDRR assessment released November 12, 2025, counted 119 countries reporting multi-hazard early warning systems. Only 43% of small island developing states reported one. Those country counts do not establish that every resident receives an actionable warning. ^[1]

The 2023 action plan explains the chain: risk knowledge; observation and forecasting; warning communication; and preparedness to respond. Detection is only one link. A forecast must become a message people understand, with arrangements that enable them to act. ^[2]

The 2025 assessment identifies sustained financing for operations and maintenance as a gap. Universal protection by 2027 remained the initiative’s goal. ^[1]

WMO’s April 2024 monitoring account describes capacity assessments covering institutions, finance, observation, forecasting and service delivery. Its dashboard separates global, implementation and country-capacity indicators. That distinction matters when judging progress: equipment, institutional readiness and warnings reaching people describe different parts of the system. ^[3]

About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.