Published by_Suraj Karowa/ ANW , Geneva, Switzerland – October 20, 2025
Climate-related hazards have killed more than 2 million people in 50 years, said the UN’s meteorological agency, 90 percent of them in developing countries.
In a stark warning amid a year of unrelenting climate fury, the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has demanded urgent investment in early warning systems to shield vulnerable populations from the escalating toll of extreme weather. Releasing its latest report at the opening of its annual conference in Geneva, the WMO revealed that weather, water, and climate-related hazards have claimed over 2 million lives in the past five decades – with a devastating 90 percent of those deaths striking in developing countries.
The report, titled “State of Climate Services 2025: Early Warnings for All,” paints a grim picture of global preparedness. Nearly half of all nations – 47 percent, to be precise – operate without robust early-warning infrastructure for multi-hazard events like floods, storms, and heatwaves. This gap leaves billions exposed, particularly in low-income regions where poverty amplifies risks. “Impacts are spiraling as weather becomes more extreme,” the WMO stated, underscoring how climate change has supercharged the frequency and ferocity of disasters. From the torrential floods that submerged Pakistan’s Sindh province earlier this year, displacing 8 million, to the wildfires that charred 1.2 million hectares across southern Europe in August, 2025 has been a brutal testament to this trend.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, addressing delegates from over 190 member states, framed the crisis as both a moral imperative and a practical necessity. “Early warning means early action. Our goal is not only to warn the world; it is to empower it,” Saulo declared. She highlighted “huge progress” over the past decade: the number of countries deploying multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) has doubled from 52 in 2015 to 108 today. Yet, an assessment of 62 nations revealed stark disparities – half possess only “basic” capacity, while 16 percent lag even behind that threshold. The most precarious situations unfold in fragile, conflict-affected areas, where instability hampers data collection and dissemination. In regions like the Sahel or Yemen, where armed conflicts rage alongside droughts, disaster-related deaths are six times higher than in nations with functional alerts.
The human cost is staggering. The WMO’s data, drawn from its International Disaster Database, logs 15,000 major events since 1970, averaging one every day. Economic damages? A staggering $3.6 trillion over the same period, with infrastructure – roads, bridges, power grids – bearing the brunt. Developing countries, contributing the least to global emissions, shoulder 80 percent of these losses relative to GDP. “Many millions of people lack protection against dangerous weather, which is inflicting an increasing toll on economic assets and vital infrastructure,” the report laments.
This year’s calamities underscore the urgency. In May, Nigeria’s Niger State reeled from the deadliest flood in decades, with over 100 confirmed deaths in Mokwa alone after the Kpege River burst its banks overnight. Rescue teams waded through chest-high waters, pulling survivors from submerged villages, while the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) scrambled to distribute aid. Similar scenes unfolded in South Korea, where monsoon rains claimed 52 lives and paralyzed Seoul’s subway system. Pakistan’s deluge, the worst since 2010, killed 1,700 and affected 33 million, with the UN estimating $30 billion in reconstruction costs.
Wildfires, too, have raged unchecked. In Greece, flames fueled by a record heatwave devoured olive groves near Patras, forcing 20,000 evacuations and blanketing Athens in toxic smoke. Across the Mediterranean, Portugal and Spain reported combined losses of €2 billion in agriculture and tourism. In the U.S., California’s “Mega-Burn” firestorm razed 500,000 acres, including the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge in Arizona, a century-old landmark reduced to ash in July. Firefighters battled 100-foot flames amid 110°F (43°C) temperatures, with climate models linking such intensity to a 30 percent rise in dry lightning strikes.
Even affluent nations aren’t immune. Switzerland’s Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, shared a chilling local example at the conference. In May, meticulous monitoring of the Birch Glacier in the Alps detected instability from permafrost thaw, averting catastrophe in Blatten. “Authorities evacuated 300 residents just hours before 2 million tons of ice and rock plummeted into the valley,” she said. “Permafrost melt will inevitably lead to more glacier collapses and rockfalls – early warning systems are vital.” This incident, one of several in the Alps this year, highlights how no region is spared as Arctic amplification accelerates warming at twice the global rate.
Progress offers glimmers of hope. In Africa, where early warnings once covered just 20 percent of the continent, 15 nations now boast operational portals issuing SMS alerts in local languages. Kenya’s system, for instance, credited with saving 1,200 lives during Cyclone Idai’s remnants in March. The WMO’s “Early Warnings for All” initiative, launched in 2022, aims for universal coverage by 2027, backed by $500 million in pledges from donors like the Green Climate Fund.
Yet challenges persist. Data silos, underfunded satellites, and the digital divide – 2.6 billion people offline globally – undermine efforts. In least-developed countries, only 40 percent of weather stations meet WMO standards for accuracy. The report calls for $10 billion annually to bridge these gaps, urging rich nations to honor Paris Agreement commitments.
As delegates deliberate, the world waits. In Australia, Cyclone Alfred’s remnants still lash Queensland with 150 km/h winds, while India’s Gujarat mourns a bridge collapse that killed nine amid monsoon fury. A total solar eclipse may have captivated South America last week, but earthly threats demand attention. The WMO’s plea is clear: Invest now, or pay dearly later. In an era of “new normals,” early warnings aren’t a luxury – they’re survival.