Climate change is reshaping risk across the world. Extreme weather events like storms, floods and heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity. But the damage caused is rarely the result of weather alone. It is determined by how exposed people are, and whether systems can continue to function when stress levels are highest. 

Hazards become disasters when they interact with fragile infrastructure, uneven access to services, and limited preparedness. As electricity fails, water systems shut down, and communication networks break – losses are compounded and recovery is delayed. This is why the real emphasis on disaster risk reduction and resilience must be investing instrengthening systems so that people can anticipate risks, withstand disruption, and rebuild better.  

Clean energy plays a vital role in keeping these systems functioning. By providing reliable power where grids are fragile or disrupted, it helps ensure that essential services can continue operating before, during and after disasters – preventing hazards from escalating into larger crises. 

Anticipating risk: Powering early warning and climate information systems 

The ability to anticipate disaster risk relies on continuous and uninterrupted access to information. Early warning systems, weather stations and hydrological monitoring networks must function around the clock, often in remote areas where grid electricity is unreliable or absent. 

In the Kyrgyz Republic, steep mountainous terrain and melting glaciers heighten the risk of glacial lake outburst floods and mudflows. Supported by Japan, solar-powered monitoring stations and early warning systems are strengthening the country’s capacity to track glacial lakes and extreme weather in real time. These systems continue to collect and transmit data during harsh weather and power outages, enabling authorities to anticipate the hazard event and act early to minimize the scale of its impact.