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ABU DHABI/WAM
Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director-General of the National Centre of Meteorology President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), affirmed that this year’s World Meteorological Day theme, “Closing the Early Warning Gap Together,” reflects a growing global commitment to strengthening early warning capabilities—especially in the face of increasing extreme weather events and their devastating impact on lives and livelihoods.
He noted that the theme draws inspiration from the landmark announcement made by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on World Meteorological Day in 2022, when he declared that the United Nations would lead new efforts to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years.
Dr Al Mandous explained that the Early Warnings for All initiative is progressing steadily toward its 2027 goal. Significant progress has been achieved since its launch, with the number of countries possessing multi-hazard early warning capabilities increasing from 52 in 2015 to 108 by the end of 2024.
Despite these advances, he emphasised that important gaps remain and called for enhanced global cooperation to address them—particularly through increased support for vulnerable countries, improved technical capacities, and closer coordination among all stakeholders.
He stressed that investing in early warning systems is not only a moral imperative, but also an economically sound decision. Studies show that for every US$1 invested in early warning, there is a return of US$9 in economic benefits, making it one of the most effective tools for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
Dr Al Mandous concluded his statement by reaffirming WMO’s commitment—together with its United Nations partners—to achieving the vision of Early Warnings for All. He stated that this year’s theme places a shared responsibility on the global community to build a more secure and resilient future.