The theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day — Closing the Early Warning Gap Together — reminds us that, in this new climate reality, early warning systems are not luxuries. They are necessities and sound investments — providing an almost ten-fold return. Yet, almost half the world’s countries still lack access to these life-saving systems. It is disgraceful that, in a digital age, lives and livelihoods are being lost because people have no access to effective early warning systems.

The United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative aims for everyone, everywhere to be protected by an alert system by 2027. The world must come together, and urgently scale-up action and investment, to realize this goal.

We need high-level political support for the Initiative within countries, a boost in technology support, greater collaboration between governments, businesses and communities, and a major effort to scale-up finance. Increasing the lending capacity of the Multilateral Development Banks is key. The Pact for the Future agreed last year made important strides forward, it must be delivered in full. So must the COP29 finance outcome.

At the same time, we must intensify our efforts to tackle the climate crisis at source — through rapid and deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions — to prevent it getting unimaginably worse. This year all countries must honor the promise to deliver new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In an era of climate disaster, every person on Earth must be protected by an early warning system as a matter of justice. Together, let’s deliver.

***

The theme of this year’s World Water Day reminds us of a cold, hard truth: glacier preservation is essential for security, prosperity and justice.

Glaciers are nature’s vaults, holding a precious resource: nearly 70 percent of all freshwater on Earth. As glaciers melt, they quench the thirst of communities, sustain ecosystems and support agriculture, industry and clean energy. But scorching temperatures are draining these vaults at record speed — from the Himalayas to the Andes, from the Alps to the Arctic.

Deadly floods are being unleashed, impacting billions of people, in cities and rural areas alike. Low-lying communities and entire countries are facing existential threats, while competition for water and land is aggravating tensions.

Glaciers may be shrinking, but we cannot shrink from our responsibilities.

The Pact for the Future, agreed by countries last September, commits countries to ambitious action to protect, restore and sustain the world’s glaciers and strengthen community resilience. I have also appointed a Special Envoy on Water to strengthen international cooperation on the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

Action this year is critical. Every country must deliver strong national climate action plans — or NDCs — aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Funding for climate adaptation and resilience must increase, supported by reform of the international financial architecture to unlock sustained and massive climate finance.

Together, let’s act to preserve these frozen lifelines for humanity.

(United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ messages on World Meteorological Day on 23 March 2025 and on World Water Day on 22 March 2025.)