Between 1970 and 2019, more than 11 000 disasters were attributed to weather, climate, and water-related hazards worldwide. This was reported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in a 2021 report on mortality and economic losses from weather, climate, and water extremes. These disasters left over two million people dead. It also resulted in economic losses of $3.6 trillion.

However, one in three people are still not covered by early warning services, while that number is almost twice as high in Africa. The episode explores why access to early weather alerts equals better communities and economies