Weather alerts: Where centralization kills — literally | Opinion
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It’s 2025, and nearly half of the world still doesn’t have adequate extreme weather alert systems. Seriously, some parts of the world are pretty much completely left in the dark — that’s according to the World Meteorological Organization. Such statistics should worry everyone. As storms grow more violent and unpredictable (yes, the rise in greenhouse gases has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events), the ability to forecast and act on severe weather isn’t a luxury — it’s a requirement for survival. And it’s not like we don’t have the technology; the tools are there. It’s our systems that fail us, fail the millions of people left behind, and web3 has a chance to make a real impact there.
No data, no defense
When we talk about weather data, the consequences of missing or delayed forecasts are very real. In 2024, devastating floods swept through Chad, displacing families, washing away homes, and affecting millions of people. The country’s meteorological systems were not sufficient. At the height of the crisis, nearly 80% of the country’s weather stations were offline.
With so little real-time data to go on, emergency planners and local officials were left guessing. The warnings came too late, which resulted in a catastrophic loss. But this is something that can happen again if nothing is done—WMO data shows that more than 50% of the radar stations that currently operate across Africa are unable to produce accurate enough data to predict weather patterns for the coming days or even hours. This isn’t just unfair, it’s dangerous.
The limits of centralized forecasting
For many years, weather forecasting services have relied on centralized hardware such as satellites and radar stations. While these systems have saved lives, they’re still very limited by geography, budgets, and other factors. These systems can’t always reach the local level fast enough, especially in emergency situations. In many countries, especially those with stretched resources, large parts of the population are simply beyond the reach of the existing infrastructure.
Current forecasting systems also tend to prioritize countries that already have robust systems. The rest of the world, where climate often hits the hardest, is asked to adapt without the same level of information or tools. For example, Africa, a continent of 1.5 billion people, has the world’s least developed weather and climate observation network with fewer stations operating to global basic standards than Germany, according to the World Meteorological Organization. So, what can be done to tackle this?
Decentralized solutions
There’s another way to think about weather infrastructure — decentralized weather networks take a very different approach. Instead of building a few nodes to cover large areas, they deploy thousands of inexpensive sensors at the community level. This approach leverages the decentralized physical infrastructure networks model, which rewards people and communities with tokens for setting up real-world infrastructure. This infrastructure can include sensors gathering data in real time: from temperature and humidity to rainfall and more. That data is shared across a distributed network and used to improve forecasts, identify patterns, and alert people about the emerging risks.
The beauty of these systems is that they don’t need to replace anything. They complement the existing methods. They fill in the gaps and help to strengthen the overall forecast. They can also operate independently when larger systems fail and give communities the tools they need to generate their own data—and act on it.
Time to change the status quo
Skeptics will say decentralized systems are too new to be trusted. While there may be some work to be done in decentralized networks becoming more widespread, the answer isn’t to dismiss the model. It’s to invest in it. To make it part of the solution. Dismissing the whole idea is short-sighted. Climate adaptation is a global challenge, and if the current systems don’t reach the people who need them the most, then it’s time to build systems that do.
The alternative — sticking with what we have — isn’t working. Centralized systems are already struggling to keep up, especially in the places that need them the most. In many parts of the world, weather stations are broken, and the data simply doesn’t come in fast enough. Meanwhile, the weather gets more unpredictable by the season.
Act now, before the next disaster
The tools already exist; what’s missing is the mindset shift. We need to recognize that centralized systems can’t do this alone, and that communities deserve better. People and rural communities can and should be part of the solution. We can’t wait for the next devastating flood, historic cyclone, or life-changing drought to remind us that something is broken. The early warnings are already here. We need to act on them now.
