GENEVA, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to boost life-saving early-warning systems here on Wednesday, emphasizing the critical role of climate change science in tackling intensifying extreme weather events.

"No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather - and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all," said Guterres while speaking at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva.

Highlighting the roles of early-warning systems, he said, "They give farmers the power to protect their crops and livestock, enable families to evacuate safely, and protect entire communities from devastation."

According to the UN chief, disaster-related mortality is at least six times lower in countries with good early-warning systems in place; just 24 hours' notice before a hazardous event can reduce damage by up to 30 percent.

In 2022, Guterres launched the "Early Warnings for All" initiative aimed at ensuring that "everyone, everywhere" is protected by an alert system by 2027. Since then, more than half of all countries have reportedly been equipped with multi-hazard early-warning systems, with the world's least developed countries nearly doubling their capacity. However, the UN chief acknowledged such progress as insufficient. "We have a long way to go," he said.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, who has been urging a scale-up in early-warning system adoption, warned that the impacts of climate change are accelerating, as "more extreme weather is destroying lives and livelihoods and eroding hard-won development gains."

According to WMO, weather, water, and climate-related hazards have killed more than two million people in the past five decades, with developing countries accounting for 90 percent of deaths. At a special meeting of the World Meteorological Congress earlier this week, countries endorsed an urgent Call to Action aimed at closing the remaining gaps in surveillance.

Guterres emphasized that a surge in funding is key to achieving the goals. "Reaching every community requires a surge in financing, but too many developing countries are blocked by limited fiscal space, crushing debt burdens, and growing systemic risks." He also urged action at the source of the climate crisis.

While admitting that overshooting the 1.5-degree global warming limit in the next few years is "inevitable," Guterres stressed that there is still hope if nations take appropriate action. He called for fully tapping into the "unlimited potential" of renewables, which he described as the "cheapest, fastest and smartest" energy sources.

He also stressed the need to "fight disinformation and greenwashing," defending the right of scientists and researchers. Furthermore, he expressed his solidarity with the scientific community and described the "ideas, expertise and influence" of the WMO as indispensable.

As WMO marks its 75th anniversary this week, the UN chief paid tribute to the agency's monitoring and forecasting, praising it for enabling "warnings and guidance that protect communities and save millions of lives and billions of dollars each year." ■