(ANSA) - ROME, MARCH 23 - The United Nations is launching the goal, within the next five years, to protect the entire world population with precocious weather warning systems against increasingly extreme climate change.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres instructed the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to lead the effort and present an action plan to achieve this goal at the next UN climate conference in Egypt in November.
The announcement was made on the occasion of World Meteorological Day, March 23, which this year is entitled Early Warning and Early Action.
Today one third of the world's population, particularly in less developed countries and developing small island states, is still not covered by early warning systems.
And in Africa it's even worse: 60 percent of people are unprotected.
"Human-caused climate change is harming every region," Guterres said, and "any increase in global warming will further increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events."
"We need to invest in adaptation and resilience alike. This includes information that allows us to anticipate storms, heat waves, floods and droughts," said the UN chief.
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