Anticipatory action closes the gap between “we knew” and “we acted”

At the 13th Global Dialogue Platform, Jagan Chapagain said that anticipatory action closes the gap between “we knew” and “we acted”.

Anticipatory action in focus at the 13th Global Dialogue Platform

The 13th Global Dialogue Platform concluded in colourful way: presenting prizes to the winners of the inaugural anticipatary action photo competion.

Putting gender equality at the heart of anticipatory action

In Asia-Pacific, women have the knowledge, skills and leadership needed for anticipatory action – yet they often remain invisible. This blog looks at how to address this.

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society acts ahead of a drought

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society has activated its EAP for drought and, over the next few weeks, it will support 35,000 people in at-risk areas through anticipatory actions.

Building the evidence for anticipatory action

Drawing on the evidence presented in two recent major reviews, our latest blog assesses the current evidence base for anticipatory action – and identifies where knowledge gaps remain.

Blog December 09, 2025

Gender & Inclusion

Before the storm: putting gender equality at the heart of anticipatory action

In the Asia-Pacific region, women have the knowledge, skills and leadership needed for anticipatory action – yet they remain invisible in many official plans and protocols. A new report looks at how …

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Blog November 19, 2025

Cash & Voucher, Evidence, Food Insecurity, Gender & Inclusion, Health, Locally led

Building the evidence for anticipatory action: what we’ve learned – and what’s next

Anticipatory action has moved rapidly from concept to practice over the past decade. The expanding experience and evidence now available enable us to reflect on what has been learned, what works, …

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Blog November 14, 2025

Dialogue Platform, Locally led

Celebrating ten years of anticipatory action at the Global Dialogue Platform

The 13th Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Humanitarian Action begins on 2 December, in Berlin and online. As we approach this anniversary edition – it's ten years since the first Global …

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Blog October 16, 2025

Compound risk, Early Warning System, Impact-based Forecasting, Locally led

Multi-hazard early warning systems for anticipatory action: how to make these a reality

To be effective, anticipatory action and early warning systems must capture and address the complexity – the multiple and interacting nature of hazards and risks – that communities face. This blog …

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Blog September 15, 2025

Disaster Risk Financing, Emerging Topics, Scaling up

The impacts of humanitarian funding cuts on anticipatory action

The humanitarian sector has witnessed major cuts to its funding in 2025. As part of this sector, these cuts threaten the financial sustainability of anticipatory action. A recent survey by the …

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Blog July 16, 2025

Disaster Risk Financing, Scaling up

Why use insurance for anticipatory action – and why now?

Traditionally designed to cover post-disaster losses, insurance has the potential to release rapid, pre-arranged funding for anticipatory action. A recent working paper by the Anticipation Hub and …

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Blog July 16, 2025

Other

Making sense of synergies: how anticipatory action connects to other approaches and sectors

Anticipatory action does not happen in isolation; it is interwoven with other humanitarian approaches, as well as the climate and development sectors. In this article, we asked some of our partners …

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Blog June 19, 2025

Advocacy, Compound risk, Locally led, Networks & Conferences

Readouts from policy fora in the first half of 2025

This article reflects on the outcomes from three high-level events held during the first half of 2025: Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week, the European Humanitarian Forum and the Global …

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News December 05, 2025

Dialogue Platform, Networks & Conferences

A decade of anticipatory action in focus at the 13th Global Dialogue Platform

The 13th Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Humanitarian Action concluded in colourful way: presenting prizes to the winners of the inaugural anticipatory action photo competion. 

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News December 02, 2025

Dialogue Platform, Networks & Conferences

Ten years of anticipatory action: celebrations at the Global Dialogue Platform

There was excitement in the air as the 13th Global Dialogue Platform began, with participants sharing their reflections on a decade of anticipatory action.

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News November 24, 2025

Cash & Voucher, Early Action, Livelihoods, WASH

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society implements anticipatory actions ahead of a drought

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society has activated its EAP for drought and, over the next few weeks, it will support 35,000 people in at-risk areas through anticipatory actions.

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News November 20, 2025

Scaling up

Building a common approach for anticipatory action training in West and Central Africa

From 3 to 5 November 2025, the Anticipation Hub delivered a pilot training-of-trainers workshop in Dakar, Senegal, for practitioners in West and Central Africa.

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News November 20, 2025

Scaling up

Building regional capacity: training trainers in anticipatory action across the Americas

Training is essential to support National Societies in their capacity to implement anticipatory action. A series of recent training events in the Americas have helped to strengthen this capacity.

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News November 08, 2025

Early Action

The Philippine Red Cross acts to protect people ahead of Tropical Storm Fung-wong

The Philippine Red Cross has partially activated its EAP) for typhoons ahead of Tropical Storm Fungwong, supporting at-risk communities by installing shelter-strengthening kits.

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News November 05, 2025

Dialogue Platform, Networks & Conferences

Anticipatory action is here to stay: El Salvador hosts its first National Dialogue Platform

Bringing together nearly 100 representatives from government institutions, international organizations, civil society, the academy, and local communities, El Salvador convened its first National …

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News November 05, 2025

Dialogue Platform, Networks & Conferences

Getting the harmony right at the Asia-Pacific Dialogue Platform

With a growing number of anticipatory action frameworks and systems across the Asia-Pacific region, the need for better harmonization has never been higher. Establishing how to achieve this …

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Video: The Anticipation Hub at a glance

Through the online platform you can access a library of learning resources, global map of anticipatory action initiatives, an early action database, working groups and much more to support your work on anticipatory action as a practitioner, scientist or policymaker. 

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Therefore, scaling up is not just “more”, it also means “better”.
To respond collectively in a coordinated manner, we must work together.

Jagan Chapagain Secretary General, IFRC

What is global is local somewhere and what is local is global somewhere else. For this reason, it is very important for us to actually come together and co-design, co-produce and co-implement, so we can learn from each other and also cross-fertilize ideas and solutions.

Dr. Halima Saado Abdillahi Head of Research and Learning, International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs (ICHA) and Kenya Red Cross

Better anticipation allows us to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly volatile climate, connecting scientific information to practical action on the ground.

Professor Maarten van Aalst Director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

Anticipatory action has tremendous potential to increase the efficiency of life-saving interventions and protect the most vulnerable. This is especially true for women and girls who often face some of the most severe risks. Through well-targeted anticipatory approaches, we can better empower women and girls to face crises on their own terms.

Lisa Carty Director, Humanitarian Financing & Resource Mobilization Division, OCHA

Anticipatory actions are the bright spots in a bleak humanitarian outlook. If we manage to move more in that direction, we will get a response that is faster, cheaper, and more dignified. One that protects hard-won development gains.

Mark Lowcock Emergency Relief Coordinator

The Anticipation Hub in numbers

The Anticipation Hub aims to share knowledge and experiences to jointly enhance and scale up anticipatory action globally.

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165 Number of partners
34 Bi-monthly newsletters
73 Number of countries on our global map

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Emerging topics

In expanding the use of anticipatory action to address more risks, be applicable in more contexts and strengthen overall disaster risk financing approaches, experts and practitioners are engaging in multi-disciplinary collaboration to enable anticipatory action to be applied where and when it is needed using adapted tools, innovative solutions and new ways of working.

More about emerging topics

Please note that our website content is being continuously updated as we receive information from our partners.