Early warnings: 136 countries covered, one in three still without
· BehindLines newsroom
A new report from UNDRR, the UN disaster-risk office, and from the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) lists 136 countries that say they have early warning systems covering several hazards, which is 17 more than in March 2025 and 70% of countries, according to the WMO press release. Called the 2026 global status review of multi-hazard early warning systems, the document came out in Antalya (Türkiye) during the COP31 climate conference, as UN News tells it.
A link with lower damage
According to the WMO, countries with substantial or comprehensive capabilities see death rates from disasters that are 6.1 times lower than in countries whose systems are limited or moderate, and 3.2 times fewer people affected. The organization speaks of a strong association, which is not proof of cause and effect.
UN News illustrates these figures with the magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Kamchatka in July 2025: the Pacific tsunami warning centre sent its first messages in under 10 minutes, Japan evacuated roughly 1.9 million people and, in the Galápagos, over 2,300 people left high-risk zones before waves of around 1.3 metres arrived.
Gaps that persist
Per the WMO, reported coverage is lowest in small island developing countries, and the least developed countries show the lowest "comprehensiveness" scores, even though their progress is the strongest. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that roughly one country in three still has no warning system and called for everyone on Earth to be covered by the end of 2027.
Acting before disaster strikes
For 2025, the report counts 146 anticipatory action triggers in 54 countries, which reached 9.6 million people thanks to US$119.9 million in funding set aside in advance. In June 2026, 38 countries ran a fully working cell broadcast alert system and 17 others were at the last stage of rolling one out.
UN News also cites the Karongi district in Rwanda: a tea grower there was alerted, through women's cooperatives, SMS messages, local radio and loudspeakers, to expect a downpour in the next 48 hours.
Why it matters
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo warns that the ongoing El Niño could fall outside the usual monitoring scales. According to the WMO, the real measure of a warning system is its ability to trigger action in time, which takes preparation across administrations, community engagement and financing.