Anticipatory action for livelihood protection: a collective endeavour

The analysis presented in this paper suggests that the potential benefits of AA can only be achieved if the central focus moves from identifying and supporting vulnerable individuals with particular project packages to effecting a system-wide change in how AA is thought about and used. For example, anticipatory livestock protection activities at scale for droughts will require agencies and governments to consider how much fodder is available in a country, and the capacity to transport it.1 Only then will AA be able to play a much wider and more significant role in protecting livelihoods from the damaging effects of drought and other shocks.