A new framework to improve collaboration on anticipatory action in South-East Asia

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently launched its Framework on Anticipatory Action in Disaster Management. This marks a core commitment towards advancing the coherency and coordination of anticipatory action in the region.

Importantly, the framework provides an opportunity for ASEAN Member States to converge their efforts through a common definition for anticipatory action as “a set of interventions that are carried out when a hazard poses imminent danger based on a forecast, early warning, or pre-disaster risk analysis. Anticipatory actions are taken by individuals and organizations before an anticipated disaster, to mitigate its impact on people, assets and infrastructure.”

The need for a stronger response to disaster risk

South-East Asia is highly prone to a range of disaster risks. Climate-related hazards such as floods, droughts, typhoons and storm surges, as well as human-induced hazards, increasingly threaten people’s lives and livelihoods across the region. These are often compounded by factors such as socio-economic pressure and the escalating rate of climate change.

Against this context, ASEAN is committed to strengthening its capacity and capability to reduce disaster risks, with an overall vision of a disaster-resilient region. Building on the momentum seen in the past decade on regional disaster management, including through the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), this framework demonstrates a significant shift in the way disasters are managed in the region: acting ahead of shocks rather than responding to disasters. This is also in line with the ‘One ASEAN, One Response’ principles of speed, scale and solidarity.

Importantly, the framework provides guidance on how anticipatory action can be adapted to the regional context and adopted by ASEAN Member States. Furthermore, the priority actions – identified through a series of consultative workshops – are set out as the plan of action for 2021-2025. These include actions to integrate anticipatory action into disaster risk management systems and to facilitate cooperation with national governments and partners across the region.

Recognizing the gaps and barriers in terms of functioning early warning systems and other aspects of anticipatory action systems, the framework outlines the need for long-term investments in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation to realize the full potential of anticipatory action.

This framework represents the first intergovernmental consensus on parameters and standards for anticipatory action. As such, it should inspire governments, partners and communities beyond the region to adopt this approach for a more resilient future. it should also act as a stepping stone to facilitate the greater exchange of global knowledge and best practices in the anticipatory action community.