UNDRR, WMO launch Global Observatory for Early Warning System Investments
Photo Caption: A tall pole with solar panels and loudspeakers stands by a river, near a railway bridge and high-rise buildings under a cloudy sky.
To address the challenge of fragmented financing for these vital systems, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) launched the Global Observatory for Early Warning System Investments to systematically tag and track such investments.
Early warning systems (EWS) are proven lifesavers in the event of disasters – and with the climate crisis driving up the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, we urgently need global EWS coverage.
The Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative has been gathering pace since its launch by Secretary-General António Guterres in 2022, but with so many significant partners investing in this important area outside the scope of the initiative, there is a need for a big-picture view that can identify gaps and synergies, and improve efficiencies.
The Observatory platform, launched in December 2024, addresses a critical need identified by the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Advisory Panel for comprehensive understanding of EWS financing. The Observatory provides an overview of current funding flows from 9 key financing institutions, helping stakeholders identify gaps, avoid duplication, and ensure that resources reach communities most at risk.
This platform will empower governments, financial institutions, inter-governmental organizations, and civil society entities to identify funding gaps and make informed resource decisions, supporting the UN Secretary-General’s push for global coverage by early warning systems by 2027.
Key features of the Observatory include:
Disaggregated tracking and tagging of EWS-related investments across regions and sectors
Identification of funding gaps and potential areas for collaboration
AI-assisted analysis for improved investment tracking and visualization.
Initial findings from the Observatory reveal important insights about current EWS financing:
54% of the EWS funding reported national projects is concentrated in five countries
75% of reported financing is reported through loans and credits, and 25% in grants
Significant funding gaps exist, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Land-Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs)
The Observatory will focus on deepening collaboration with international finance institutions and leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance its analytical capabilities. This development will enable more precise categorization of EWS funding and support evidence-based decision-making for future investments.
The Global Observatory for Early Warning System Investments is designed to share information about funding from multilateral development banks and climate funds supporting early warning systems (EWS).
The platform aims to build coherence, alignment, and increased leveraging of EWS funding while providing critical understanding of funding gaps. This initiative directly supports the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All Initiative, which calls for every person on Earth to be protected by early warning systems by 2027.
