Knowledge management platform for anticipatory action in Southern Africa

The Regional Anticipatory Action Working Group (RAAWG) has established this platform to serve as a technical resource for practitioners and stakeholders engaged in Anticipatory Action (AA) in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

This platform aims to enhance regional coordination, knowledge exchange, and visibility of Anticipatory Action initiatives, while promoting evidence-based decision making. It provides a space to showcase the collective work of RAAWG members and its partners, with a focus on strengthening preparedness and resilience.

Rooted in the principles of Early Warning and Anticipatory Action, anticipatory action draws on defined triggers, pre-arranged financing, and pre-agreed interventions to enable timely and effective action before disasters occur. Users will have access to a range of resources, including hazard and vulnerability mapping and analysis for SADC member states—critical tools and frameworks that support the planning and implementation of early actions.

We invite governments, humanitarian actors, donors, technical experts, and other stakeholders to utilize this platform as a regional hub for driving forward a shared vision of Early Action, Resilience and Sustainable Risk Reduction.

News / Events

News June 03, 2025

Cash & Voucher, Evidence, Lessons Learnt, M&E

WFP’s updated evidence base on anticipatory action 2025: lessons from 16 studies across 12 countries

WFP recently published an updated evidence base on anticipatory action. This synthesis of 16 studies provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of anticipatory action, as well as lessons …

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News March 19, 2025

Cash & Voucher, Early Action

The Malawi Red Cross Society distributes anticipatory cash ahead of Tropical Cyclone Jude

With Tropical Cyclone Jude forecast to bring severe weather to Malawi, the Malawi Red Cross Society provided anticipatory cash and other support to help communities prepare for the worst.

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Blog March 18, 2025

Early Action, Food Insecurity, Gender & Inclusion

Ensuring education through a crisis: how school-feeding programmes give children ‘more than just a meal’

Slow-onset hazards can drive hunger among children, forcing them to stay at home rather than attend school. In such contexts, school-feeding programmes have emerged as a crucial anticipatory action. …

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News March 11, 2025

Early Action, Gender & Inclusion, Shelter, WASH

OCHA and UN CERF support anticipatory action ahead of Tropical Cyclone Jude in Mozambique

On 8 March 2025, as Tropical Cyclone Jude headed towards Mozambique, the trigger thresholds set out in the country’s 'Anticipatory Action and Early Response Framework - Cyclones' were reached. This …

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News March 10, 2025

Early Action, Shelter

The Mozambique Red Cross Society activates its Early Action Protocol for Cyclones

The Mozambique Red Cross Society has activated its EAP for Cyclone, based on forecasts that Tropical Cyclone Jude would soon make landfall. It implemented a series of anticipatory actions to protect …

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News February 26, 2025

Early Action, WASH

The Mozambique Red Cross Society activates its Early Action Protocol for Floods

The Mozambique Red Cross Society activated its EAP for Floods on 21 February 2025. With just three days before the expected peak of the flood, it acted swiftly to protect 10,000 people in the most …

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Blog November 29, 2024

Early Action, Health, WASH

Learning by doing: lessons from anticipatory actions ahead of floods in Zambia

In January 2023, the Zambian Red Cross Society activated its EAP for Floods. Later that year, the Netherlands Red Cross commissioned a study to learn lessons from this activation; this provided …

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News September 17, 2024

Dialogue Platform, Networks & Conferences

Committing to collaboration and harmonization at the 2nd Southern Africa Dialogue Platform

A reflection on the 2nd Southern Africa Dialogue Platform, which was held from 13 to 15 August 2024, with around 155 people gathering in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Blog April 18, 2024

Early Action, Early Warning System, Impact-based Forecasting

AWARE: a digitally enabled governance platform for effective anticipatory action ahead of climate shocks

As the climate crisis worsens, at-risk countries need anticipatory action to cope with the devastating impacts. ClimBeR’s AWARE platform is helping countries including Senegal and Zambia to protect …

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Blog April 15, 2024

Early Warning System, Emerging Topics, Trigger Development

Citizens as hazard forecasters: how citizen science can strengthen anticipatory action

There is a small but growing number of examples of citizen science playing an active role in anticipatory action and early warnings. Can - and should - it play a greater role in the data used for …

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Interactive Southern Africa database on anticipatory action

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Contact

Lucas Serage

Anticipatory Action Support Specialist FAO SFS

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

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Tawonga Dalikeni

Anticipatory Action Officer

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

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Elizabeth Viljoen

Early Warning Specialist

World Food Program (WFP)

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Acknowledgement

We sincerely acknowledge and appreciate the generous partnership of all donors in supporting our projects across the SADC region. Their contribution plays a vital role in driving positive change and creating lasting impact in the communities we serve.

The development of this platform was sponsored by The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).