WMO’s Early Warnings for All - Action Plan for Africa

More than 110 million people in Africa were directly affected by weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2022, causing more than US$8.5 billion in economic damages, according to the Emergency Event Database. 

The action plan, unveiled on the opening day of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on 4 September, aims to make sure that timely and accurate information about natural hazards and impending disasters reaches all segments of African society, particularly the most vulnerable.

“[O]nly 40% of the African population has access to early warning systems – the lowest rate of any region of the world. This new Early Warnings for All Action Plan for Africa seeks to change that,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas.

Early warning systems provide more than a tenfold return on investment. Just 24 hours’ notice of an impending hazardous event can cut the ensuing damage by 30 per cent. The Global Commission on Adaptation found that spending just US$800 million on such systems in developing countries would avoid losses of $3 to 16 billion per year.

• Read more about the Early Warnings for All Action Plan for Africa here.