Establishing anticipatory action at the national level: a case study from Sri Lanka

Anticipatory action has progressed rapidly in Sri Lanka. In 2022, the first pilot project began testing this approach for floods and landslides in Nuwara Eliya; just three years later, there are now many more initiatives under way across the country, and for a broadening range of hazards. 

This expansion has been enabled by continuous efforts, initiated by humanitarian organizations, to incorporate anticipatory action within the country’s wider disaster-risk-management system. The results include the National Anticipatory Action Working Group, through which government ministries and humanitarian partners coordinate the country’s anticipatory action initiatives. Another milestone was the first National Dialogue Platform, held in 2024, which set out the country’s plans for moving forwards. These collective achievements mean that more people across the country are now supported ahead of the many different hazards that blight their lives. 

Drawing on testimonies from government ministries and humanitarian partners, this case study outlines some of the factors behind these achievements in institutionalizing anticipatory action. It also shares perspectives from the communities and practitioners involved in the pilot projects, who explain why this approach is so important.

Read the full case study here.