Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems 2025 – ReliefWeb

Global Disaster Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Economic and Climate Setbacks

In 2024, the escalation of climate-related disasters resulted in unprecedented financial losses, directly impeding progress towards SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The failure to contain the global mean temperature rise below the 1.5°C threshold, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement, signals a significant challenge to achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action) and threatens the stability of interconnected global goals.

• Financial losses from climate-related disasters reached new highs, with tropical cyclones alone accounting for $135 billion.
• The annual global mean temperature surpassed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time, compromising efforts to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change.

Disaster Events and Their Link to SDGs

The year was marked by severe hydrometeorological and geological events that disproportionately affected vulnerable populations, highlighting the urgent need for resilient infrastructure and disaster risk reduction strategies as outlined in SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

• Weather-Related Disasters: Widespread flooding, severe storms, and tropical cyclones caused significant disruption in the Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, and Central Asia, undermining community safety and economic stability.
• Geological Hazards: Earthquakes and subsequent landslides in Myanmar and Afghanistan, regions lacking early warning systems (EWS), led to considerable loss of life. This contrasts sharply with the Pacific region, where effective EWS and regional cooperation, a key aspect of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), enabled the successful evacuation of millions following the Kamchatka Earthquake.

Emerging Hazards and Global Response Frameworks

New Frontiers in Climate Risk

A range of emerging and intensifying hazards presents complex challenges to sustainable development, affecting ecosystems, health, and economies. These threats require a multi-faceted approach that integrates climate science with development policy to protect progress on SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

• Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Pakistan.
• Extreme heat waves with localized impacts.
• Transboundary sand and dust storms (SDS).
• Wildfires and volcanic eruptions.

United Nations Initiatives for Targeted Action

In response to these growing threats, the United Nations has mobilized international efforts to foster resilience and targeted action, directly supporting specific SDG targets.

1. A global call to action on extreme heat to protect public health.
2. The designation of 2025 as the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation” to advance SDG 13 and SDG 15.
3. The proclamation of 2025-2034 as the “Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms” to address a critical transboundary environmental issue.

The Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative

A Strategy for Universal Resilience

The Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative is a critical mechanism for accelerating the achievement of the SDGs by aiming to provide universal coverage of early warning systems by 2027. This initiative directly supports targets within SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 11, and SDG 13 by building adaptive capacity and minimizing disaster-related losses.

Core Pillars for Implementation

The success of the EW4All initiative and the strengthening of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) depend on progress across four interconnected pillars, which form the basis for this report’s key findings and recommendations.

1. Disaster Risk Knowledge: Enhancing understanding of risks to inform policy and community action in line with SDG 11 and SDG 13.
2. Detection, Observations, Monitoring, Analysis and Forecasting: Strengthening the scientific and technical infrastructure for accurate and timely predictions.
3. Warning Dissemination and Communication: Ensuring inclusive and effective communication channels to reach all communities, upholding the SDG principle of “Leave No One Behind.”
4. Preparedness and Response Capabilities: Building the capacity of communities and institutions to act on warnings, thereby protecting lives and livelihoods.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues related to climate change, natural disasters, economic losses, and international cooperation, which directly connect to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary SDGs addressed are:

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article’s focus on the impact of disasters like floods, cyclones, and earthquakes on communities, leading to loss of life and financial damage, directly relates to making human settlements resilient. The emphasis on Early Warning Systems (EWS) is a core strategy for disaster risk reduction in communities.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  This is the most central SDG in the article. It explicitly mentions “climate-related disasters,” the global temperature exceeding the “1.5°C” threshold from the Paris Agreement, and how climate change exacerbates weather events. The entire discussion on adapting to hazards like extreme heat, glacial lake outburst floods, and storms is about taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article highlights the importance of collaboration. It mentions the “Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative” launched by the United Nations, the “concerted effort by multiple stakeholders” to improve tsunami warning systems in the Pacific, and international declarations like the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.” These examples underscore the need for global partnerships to address these challenges.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 11.5:

   “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses… caused by disasters.” The article directly references this target by mentioning efforts to contain “disaster-related mortality,” the “considerable loss of life” in Afghanistan and Myanmar, and the “$135 billion” in financial losses from tropical cyclones.

2. Target 11.b:

   “…implement… holistic disaster risk management at all levels.” The article’s extensive discussion of Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) and the EW4All initiative, which aims for universal coverage, is a direct reflection of implementing holistic disaster risk management to build resilience.

3. Target 13.1:

   “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The entire article is centered on this target. It contrasts the lack of EWS for earthquakes and landslides in some regions with the successful evacuation of millions in the Pacific, demonstrating different levels of adaptive capacity. The focus on emerging hazards like extreme heat and sandstorms further emphasizes the need to strengthen resilience.

4. Target 13.3:

   “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change… early warning.” The success of the tsunami warning system in the Pacific is attributed to “active monitoring, data sharing, improved modelling and the effective execution of pre-planned responses,” which are all components of improved institutional capacity. The EW4All initiative is a global effort to build this capacity for early warning.

5. Target 17.16:

   “Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships…” The article provides clear examples of this target in action, such as the “concerted effort by multiple stakeholders” in the Pacific and the UN-led “Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions or implies several indicators that align with the official SDG indicators for measuring progress:

• Indicator for Target 11.5:

  The article provides data points that align with official indicators. For Indicator 11.5.1 (Number of deaths… attributed to disasters), it refers to “disaster-related mortality” and “considerable loss of life.” For Indicator 11.5.2 (Direct economic loss…), it explicitly states that “tropical cyclones alone costing the world $135 billion.”

• Indicator for Target 13.1:

  Progress towards Indicator 13.1.3 (Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies) is implied through the discussion of early warning systems. The article contrasts countries with effective EWS (like those in the Pacific for tsunamis) against those without (Myanmar and Afghanistan for earthquakes), highlighting the presence or absence of implemented disaster risk reduction strategies.

• Indicator for Target 13.3:

  The article implies progress related to Indicator 13.3.2 (Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional… capacity-building to implement… early warning). The “Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative,” which “seeks to achieve universal coverage of early warnings within five years,” is a direct measure of a global effort to strengthen institutional capacity for early warning across all countries.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: reliefweb.int