Global warming pushing planet to the brink: UN chief
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that global warming is pushing the planet to the brink and called on countries to implement disaster warning systems to protect people against extreme weather.
“Each of the last ten years has been the hottest in history. Ocean temperatures are breaking records as they destroy ecosystems. And no country is safe from fires, floods, storms and heatwaves,” he told delegates at an extraordinary conference in Geneva to mark the 75th anniversary of the UN World Meteorological Organisation.
Guterres called on countries to mobilize funding to activate a global surveillance system known as Early Warning Systems to protect people from extreme weather.
“They empower farmers to protect their crops and animals. They ensure the safe evacuation of families and protect entire communities from destruction,” Guterres said.
He added that being notified 24 hours before a dangerous event can reduce damage by up to 30 percent.
More than 60 percent of countries have implemented multi-hazard Early Warning Systems since Guterres launched an initiative in 2022 that aims to have all countries implement such systems by 2027.
Air, water and climate-related hazards have killed more than two million people in the past five decades, with 90 percent of those deaths occurring in developing countries, the WMO said on Monday.
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