Vietnam favors WMO’s "Early Warnings for All” initiative: Ambassador

THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam fully favors the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), viewing it not as a project but as a strategic mandate, one capable of significantly reducing human suffering and economic losses.

Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to Geneva, made the statement on the sidelines of an extraordinary session of the World Meteorological Congress this week, marking the 75th anniversary of the organization.

He noted that the WMO plays an indispensable role as the world’s leading organization in meteorology, hydrology and climate science, helping countries build resilience and save lives.

"Vietnam highly values the WMO and the United Nations for their efforts to make early warnings a global public good that saves lives and protects infrastructure," said Dung.

As a tropical monsoon country with a long coastline, Vietnam ranks among the most vulnerable nations. This year alone, severe storms have caused tragic losses of life and livelihoods.

These experiences enhance Vietnam’s determination to act and to strengthen cooperation with the WMO and its partners. Dung described the narrowing of the early warning gap by 2027 as both an obligation and an economic demand.

“Vietnam stands ready to roll out the EW4All roadmap. The climate crisis, with devastating extreme weather, poses one of the greatest challenges of our time, threatening decades of development gains and demanding collective and science-based action,” stressed the ambassador.

The session carries meaningful significance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the WMO, which has played a crucial role in advancing international cooperation in meteorology, climate and hydrology.

The session highlights the Early Warnings for All initiative, the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch system and the use of AI in weather forecasting, along with key discussions on governance, youth engagement and budget planning for 2026–2027.

Commemorative events, including a reception and drone demonstrations, honor the global meteorological community’s contributions and reaffirm WMO’s commitment to strengthening climate resilience worldwide.

The mark of Vietnam's hydrometeorology

According to a report of the Department of Hydrometeorology under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam's progress in hydrometeorology is defined by its proactive efforts to modernize its systems, with a significant focus on improving early warning capabilities and leveraging new technologies to combat the impacts of extreme weather.

This includes a large-scale investment in a comprehensive monitoring network, advanced forecasting techniques, and the development of specialized climate services to protect its population and support its economy. Despite challenges, the sector is committed to international cooperation and innovation to lead in the region.

Vietnam is expanding its monitoring network, with goals to increase the number of automatic stations to 95% for meteorological, water level, and rain measurements by 2030.

The sector is also incorporating advanced technologies such as supercomputers, satellite data assimilation, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve forecasting accuracy.

Vietnam's hydrometeorological sector is committed to contributing to the UN's "Early Warnings for All" initiative. A specific project aims to upgrade forecast quality to achieve a reliability of 80%-85% for continuous forecasts in the near future.