Monday 4 July 2022

New financing mechanism for climate warning and observations launched

A new financing mechanism aimed at strengthening weather and climate observations, improving early warning and boosting climate adaptation has become operational.

The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) seeks to address the long-standing problem of missing weather and climate observations from least developing countries and small island developing states.

It will strengthen the international response to climate change by “filling the data gaps” that limit the understanding of the climate and affect the capacity to predict and adapt to extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves.

SOFF is a key building block for a new initiative to ensure early warning services reach everyone in the next five years.

UN Secretary-General General António Guterres said: “As the climate crisis worsens, it is crucial that we boost the power of prediction for everyone so countries can reduce disaster risk. That is why we have launched an initiative to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within the next five years.

“The Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) is an essential tool to achieve this. I thank all the countries that are providing initial funding to the SOFF UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund and urge others to do the same.”