Future Leaders Network on Early Warning Early Action
Since 2015, anticipatory action programmes have been steadily growing. They are now implemented in over 60 countries by the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, UN agencies, NGOs, governments and scientific partners, to reduce the impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards and compounding risks. Anticipatory action programmes can work in harmony with initiatives that provide people-centred early warning systems to disseminate warnings and connect them to early action plans and financing that support and involve the most vulnerable people. The achievements to date would not have been possible without country-level leadership, multi-stakeholder collaboration and championing efforts within national meteorology and hydrological services, disaster risk management agencies, National Societies, NGOs, UN agencies, scientific partners, universities and other government agencies.

Scaling up with a dedicated network
Scaling up this approach further will require a holistic approach that interweaves and aligns programmes that support early warning and early action from across the climate, development and humanitarian sectors. But how can we collectively nurture and sustain such efforts, and ensure that early warning systems and early actions reach more people and cover more hazards?
The Anticipation Hub, together with its partners, is uniquely positioned to provide opportunities for exchange, learning and advocacy to support current and future leaders on their journey to enabling early warning and early action. As a recent webinar and blog demonstrate, young people and young professionals can ensure that early warnings translate into anticipatory action by:
- building interdisciplinary partnerships
- ensuring an inclusive and people-centred approach
- being connectors and communicators
- embedding innovation while bridging science and practice.
More needs to be done to ensure that we mobilize, inspire and empower future leaders, increasing their capacity to break down sectoral silos and identify joint solutions to scale up early action. Doing so will require a collective effort to increase opportunities for South-South/ North-South training and education programmes, peer-to-peer and inter-generational learning and guidance, and cross-sectoral networks. To meet this need, the Anticipation Hub has launched the Future Leaders Network on Early Warning Early Action.
Objectives and co-chairs
Objectives
Through the Future Leaders Network on Early Warning Early Action, the Anticipation Hub commits to connect, inspire and empower future leaders across practice, science and policy, to work collaboratively on enabling early warnings that translate into anticipatory action on the ground.
- Connect: Create an inclusive, fun and engaging networking space (virtual and in-person) to connect future leaders working in governments, universities, NGOs, Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers, UN agencies and others to exchange expertise and identify partnerships.
- Inspire: Increase access to a supportive network of individuals that motivate and encourage one another, through the peer-to-peer and inter-generational exchange of experiences and sharing inspiring stories of change.
- Empower: Showcase initiatives led by early-career professionals, and promote existing opportunities for training, learning and leadership, while creating and advocating for new opportunities in collaboration with Anticipation Hub partners.
Co-chairs
The network is hosted by the Anticipation Hub and co-chaired by early-career professionals working in the academic, humanitarian and government sectors.
- Faith Mitheu, doctoral researcher on impact-based forecasting and forecast-based financing at the University of Reading, UK
- Graziela Ariani Olua, weather forecaster, Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics
- Toke J. Rogbo-Bengtsson, anticipatory action advisor, Danish Red Cross
The co-chairs are supported by an additional core group of early-career professionals.
Join the network
All individuals who identify themselves as early-career or young professionals, and are willing to engage in the network’s activities, are welcome to express their interest in being part of the network. The network plans to organize activities including policy engagement, informal networking meet-ups, sessions at global and regional dialogue platforms and other knowledge exchange opportunities (e.g., blogs, technical workshops).
Please fill in the form below and the co-chairs will be in touch about upcoming activities.
Join the networkContact us
Get in touch with the co-chairs to discuss any specific opportunities, contributions or suggestions for the implementation of the Future Leaders Network on Early Warning Early Action.
Faith Mitheu
Doctoral Researcher on Impact-based forecasting/ Forecast-based financingUniversity of Reading
Raise your QuestionGraziela Ariani Olua
weather forecasterIndonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG)
Raise your Question