A new report based on over 143,000 interviews across 140 countries found that 36% of disaster-affected adults who received advance warnings were unable to take protective action. The World Risk Poll 2026 highlights significant disparities, with adults in low-income countries nearly twice as likely to experience disasters and having lower early warning coverage.
Regional warning coverage was as low as 47% in Central and Western Africa. The report also indicated that receiving multiple alerts increases the likelihood of taking action, and mobile phones could potentially reach over 170 million people who received no warning. The findings suggest a gap between issuing warnings and ensuring people have the capacity to respond.
Source: Down To Earth