Anticipatory action in practice: acting early ahead of typhoons in the Philippines

Tropical cyclones are the most common hazard in the Philippines, with nine to ten making landfall each year on average. Around half of these are categorized as typhoons, which bring severe winds and/or heavy rains, as well as storm surges, floods and landslides. To enable affected populations to act ahead of a typhoon making landfall, the Philippine Red Cross developed an Early Action Protocol for Typhoons, which has three early actions: (1) the evacuation of livestock; (2) early harvests (cash for work); (3) the distribution of shelter-strengthening kits. This briefing examines each of these in depth, drawing lessons from the Philippines’ experience with implementing anticipatory action ahead of this hazard.