Established under India's G20 Presidency in 2023, the G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRR WG) aims to integrate risk reduction measures into public and private sector investment decisions and policy making. By driving smarter public and private investments, the G20 DRR WG aims to reduce existing risks, prevent new ones, and build resilient economies, societies, and natural systems.
This year, from 8-13 October 2025, global leaders, technical experts and humanitarian partners convened for the Fourth Working Group and Ministerial Meeting of the G20 DRR WG. The week-long gathering focused on strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience through solidarity and global cooperation, aligning with South Africa's G20 Presidency themes of Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.
Side Event & Ministerial Dialogue
12 October 2025 - At the G20 DRR WG Side Event 4, global leaders and international partners gathered under the theme "Solidarity and Resilience" to advance international collaboration on early warning systems -- a core component of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) flagship initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2022.
The side event, which featured a high-level ministerial dialogue, focused on accelerating progress on the EW4All initiative, which has been identified as a key mechanism for achieving Priority 2 of the G20 DRR WG: Global Coverage of Early Warning Systems. The EW4All initiative is not just a mechanism but it is one of South Africa G20 legacy project.
Among other key partners supporting the G20 DRR WG action plan , the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative are key contributors to area 1 of the action plan, supporting the goal of universal early warning coverage by 2027. WMO provides technical expertise in forecasting and system design, while CREWS helps fund and implement early warning services in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that are vulnerable to weather- and climate-related risks and hazards.
At the opening of the Interactive Ministerial Dialogue -- Thomas Asare, Assistant Secretary-General of WMO, highlighted the urgent need to accelerate, life-saving goals: ensuring that everybody is protected by early warning systems. He continued "It is a moral obligation and makes economic sense. Every $1 spent on early warning services saves up to $10 in avoided losses. It is not a cost, but an investment in our people, our national development and our future."
Progress has been made in policy frameworks, capacity building, and technology deployment, but critical financing and cooperation gaps remain. South Africa for example has shown great necessity for accurate and actionable early warning systems. The extreme Durban floods in April 2022 and Eastern Cape floods in June 2025 has claimed over 600 lives and widespread disruption affecting people's well-being and livelihoods. Regionally, Africa recorded 2,883 disaster events between 2000 to 2020, resulting in over 139,000 deaths, affecting more than 311 million people, and causing economic damages exceeding USD 18 billion.
Launch of the South Africa's EW4All Roadmap
South Africa has launched its national EW4All Roadmap, making it the first G20 country to unveil a national strategy at the G20 DRR WG event. Given the significance of the occasion, the launch of the South Africa's EW4All roadmap should serve as a reminder that the G20 has a critical role to play in protecting humanity from the devastating impacts of hydrometeorological disasters.
Thomas Asare, Assistant Secretary-General of WMO, underscored that the roadmap represents what visionary leadership and technical cooperation can achieve. It demonstrates how scientific excellence, data sharing, and institutional coordination, led by the South African Weather Service and its partners, can be transformed into actionable resilience. He emphasized that "early warnings are not a luxury - they are a lifeline. And cooperation is the code that unlocks that lifeline for all".
The event also served as a platform for CREWS to engage in consultations with countries and partners ahead of the adoption of its 2030 Strategy at UNFCCC COP30. In reaffirming its commitment that by 2030, all LDCs and SIDS will have the essential early warning and climate services needed to protect lives and livelihoods, CREWS is calling on G20 countries to help turn this ambition into reality.
With G20 nations representing 85% of global GDP and hosting the world's most advanced communication, hydrometeorological and disaster risk management capabilities, their role is pivotal in bridging the technological and financial gaps that leave vulnerable countries, particularly LDCs and SIDS, disproportionately exposed. G20 countries are also leading on most of the unparalleled scientific and technical expertise that are creating unprecedented opportunities in leading this effort. The challenge now is to ensure that developing countries can also access and benefit from these advancements so that early warning systems everywhere are not only available, but also accessible, actionable, and trusted.
