Storms, floods, and heat waves are becoming more frequent, prolonged, and intense, affecting the daily lives of millions of people in many regions.
In this situation, exacerbated by climate change, early warnings demonstrate their potential to save lives. But only when they arrive in time and are translated into action.
That is why the United Nations is promoting the “Early Warnings for All” initiative.
Disasters are not just a matter of chance.
They also have to do with the extent to which a society is prepared, has well-designed and communicated early warning systems, and has response mechanisms capable of turning each warning into a real opportunity for protection.
What is the “Early Warnings for All” initiative and why is it so important?
Before explaining what this initiative consists of, it is worth clarifying what an early warning system is.
The UNDRR defines these solutions as “integrated systems for monitoring, forecasting, and predicting hazards.” In other words, mechanisms that allow us to observe and anticipate approaching dangers, warning and communicating with those who may be affected so that they know how to act and can minimize damage.
However, despite their usefulness and the increase in extreme weather events, as of 2022, only about half of the world’s countries reported having multi-hazard early warning systems that were considered adequate.
To close this gap, in March 2022 the United Nations Secretary-General announced the “Early Warnings for All / Early Warnings for All,” co-led by UNDRR and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with support from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Its goal is as ambitious as it is specific: by 2027, everyone on the planet will be protected by a multi-hazard early warning system, regardless of where they live.
“Everyone on the planet must be protected by early warning systems within five years” – António Guterres, UN Secretary-General. March 23, 2022. Source: UNDRR
The four pillars that make early warnings possible for everyone
An effective early warning system must operate from end to end, taking into account four essential pillars that are also covered by the “Early Warnings for All” initiative:
- Risk awareness, which involves collecting data and analyzing threats, exposure, and vulnerability in order to prioritize where to take action. This pillar remains the least developed and is estimated to require an investment of $374 million.
- Detection, observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting, a pillar led by the WMO and based on the implementation of robust observation systems and accurate forecasts. This is the pillar that requires the most investment, some $1.18 billion.
- Dissemination and communication of alerts, coordinated by the ITU, ensuring that warnings reach everyone at the right time and in accessible formats. This requires an investment of approximately $550 million.
- Preparedness and response, led by the IFRC, with a mission to build and strengthen national and community capacities to act when an alert is issued. The estimated investment is $1 billion.
These pillars describe in practice how early warnings work in modern, people-centered systems.
Challenges to achieving effective early warnings
Progress is real, but uneven. In 2025, 119 countries, or 60% of the total, report having these systems in place. But only 43% of Small Island Developing States acknowledge having them, despite being some of the regions most exposed to cyclones, storm surges, and sea level rise.
Many countries, for example, have incomplete observation networks, technological limitations, weak governance that manifests itself in the absence of regulatory frameworks, and a funding gap that hinders the implementation of these solutions.
source: Early Warnings for All Dashboard
Added to this are social barriers (poverty, language barriers, lack of trust, etc.) that prevent alerts, including community early warnings, from being translated into early action.
How technologies such as FAST accelerate the adoption of early warning systems
This is where tools such as FAST, our early flood warning solution, can make a tangible difference in addressing this phenomenon.
Unlike satellite surveillance systems, which can be useful for monitoring large geographical areas, our platform proves its effectiveness on a hyperlocal scale. FAST provides detailed information on intermittent or ephemeral watercourses that can often trigger disasters.
However, our solution also shares the four pillars on which the Early Warnings for All initiative is based, thanks to its combination of artificial intelligence, hydrological and meteorological data, and preparedness to deliver accurate, localized, and actionable alerts.
- At risk, it takes into account threats, exposure, and vulnerability to generate maps and dashboards that prioritize key territories and populations.
- In detection and monitoring, it collects information from sensor networks and hydrometeorological models to translate technical signals into alert levels that are understandable to decision makers.
- In terms of communication and preparation, it allows for the detailed definition of action protocols, centralizing the contacts of key decision-makers.
Why action is so urgent
The Early Warnings for All initiative is not just for developing countries.
Extreme events affect all nations, including middle- and high-income countries.
Investing in early warning systems is not an expense: it is a collective insurance policy. Just 24 hours’ warning of an imminent dangerous event can reduce the resulting damage by 30%.
The road to 2027 is short, but achievable. In February 2025, the Green Climate Fund approved $103.2 million to expand early warning systems in seven vulnerable countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Chad, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, and Somalia), directly benefiting more than 26 million people. Initiatives such as Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) have also reached 396 million people since 2017.
Governments, humanitarian organizations, the private sector, and citizens must act in a coordinated manner. The technology is available and the science is clear. All that is lacking is political will, funding, and commitment.
FAQS. Frequently Asked Questions
It is a global program led by the UN and the WMO that seeks to ensure that, by 2027, everyone on the planet will be protected by multi-hazard early warning systems.
Because they enable threats such as storms, floods, or heat waves to be anticipated, giving local communities time to act and significantly reducing the human and economic impact.
The pillars are: risk awareness; detection and monitoring; alert communication and preparedness; and response capability.
Mainly Small Island Developing States and countries with limited infrastructure, weak regulatory frameworks, or lack of funding.
Platforms such as FAST enable the integration of hydrometeorological data, the communication of clear alerts, and the coordination of an effective response, accelerating the implementation of modern and reliable systems.
They can improve preparedness capabilities, reduce uncertainty in decision-making, and provide clear and actionable alerts to the population, especially in situations of water risk.
