A new strategy to institutionalize anticipatory action in Central America and the Dominican Republic
The disaster risk management authorities of six Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) and the Dominican Republic have collectively endorsed the first regional strategy to institutionalize anticipatory action within their national systems. This strategy shifts the region from predominantly reactive disaster relief to a forward-looking model that “acts before whenever possible and reacts only when necessary”.
Covering the period 2025 to 2030, the strategy was developed under the leadership of the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC) in coordination with its member states. It aligns with the Regional Integral Disaster Risk Management Plan (PRGIRD 2024-2030) and other global frameworks, offering a unified roadmap for governments, humanitarian partners and donors.
What the strategy sets out
The strategy is anchored in three strategic pillars and objectives:
- Normative and financial integration: integrate anticipatory action into laws, plans and budgets.
- Capacity- and early-warning strengthening: equip institutions and communities; establish agreed-upon triggers and standard operating procedures.
- Evidence and shared knowledge: base decisions on data and continuous learning.
Equity is a cross-cutting priority, with gender, disability, ethnicity and other vulnerabilities considered throughout all actions.
Key milestones of the institutionalization of anticipatory action in the region
Why a shared strategy matters
As anticipatory action continues to expand across the climate, humanitarian and development sectors, ensuring a clear and consistent definition for this approach – and avoiding fragmented implementation – has become increasingly important. The strategy emphasizes the need for a common, harmonized understanding and coordinated execution of the actions. It also reinforces the idea that anticipatory action is meant to complement, rather than replace, long-term risk mitigation, development planning and post-event response. Both anticipation and response are essential for resilient disaster risk management.
Next steps for the anticipatory action community
Building on this strategy, stakeholders in the region are invited to:
- align their programmes and funding with the regional strategy
- operate through national disaster-risk-management systems and coordination spaces for anticipatory action, to avoid duplication and strengthen ownership, while maintaining coordination with CEPREDENAC and the Regional Technical Group on Anticipatory Action in Latin America and the Caribbean (GTAA LAC) at the regional level
- invest in early warning systems, technical platforms and training
- share evidence and lessons learned to refine practices and demonstrate impact.
We firmly believe that the only sustainable way to scale up anticipatory action is by strengthening and empowering our national institutions to lead these efforts. Collaboration among all actors is essential [for] building a safer and more resilient region. Institutionalizing anticipatory action is not just a strategy; it is a commitment to secure the future of our communities.
The strategy was produced with technical expertise from NORCAP and funding from the European Union’s Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid Operations. Additional support was provided by the GTAA LAC. This collaboration exemplifies the collective effort needed to translate this strategy into earlier, faster and better-coordinated actions to protect populations at risk from predictable hazards.
Photos: (top) Disaster risk experts and representative from CEPREDENAC, the Colombian Red Cross and the Dominican Republic at the 6th Regional Dialogue Platform in Latin America and the Caribbean on Anticipatory Action, November 2024 © Anticipation Hub; (middle) The Emergency Operation Center (CONRED) in Guatemala. © CONRED; Adherbal De La Rosa © Philipp M./Anticipation Hub; (bottom) The National Working Group on Anticipatory Action and Early Warning Systems of El Salvador and the GTAA SAT in El Salvador.