Institutionalization of anticipatory action gains ground in Central America

Institutionalization of anticipatory action gains ground in Central America

Progress towards the institutionalization of anticipatory action in Central America and the Dominican Republic is becoming increasingly concrete and visible. A milestone was achieved during the recent VIII Regional Consultative Forum of the Central American Policy for Disaster Risk Management, organized by CEPREDENAC, when anticipatory action was incorporated into the most updated version of this policy.

The Mitch +25 Declaration, made in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in 2023, saw countries in the Central American Integration System (SICA) commit to integrating anticipatory action into both their legal frameworks and the Regional Plan for Disaster Risk Management 2024–2030 (PRGIRD).

To follow up on this process, in 2025 CEPREDENAC, with technical support from NORCAP and the Anticipatory Action Technical Advisory Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (GTAA LAC), published the Regional Strategy for the Institutionalization of Anticipatory Action, which is valid through to 2030. This provides clear guidance on how to integrate anticipatory action into regulatory frameworks, national plans and social protection systems.

While this regional strategy was a significant step forward, structural challenges remained. For example, it was developed within the framework of the PCGIR; this policy was formulated in 2010, when anticipatory action was not yet part of disaster risk management (DRM) approaches.

While the PRGIRD enables the implementation of concrete actions, it is the PCGIR that legitimizes, guides and ensures the political sustainability of the approaches adopted by the region. In this context, the absence of anticipatory action in the PCGIR represented a significant gap; it created the risk that anticipatory action would lack sufficient political backing, face constraints in public budget allocation, and rely more heavily on programmatic or externally funded efforts. These factors would ultimately compromise its long-term sustainability.

Turning consensus into agreements

This situation shifted during the VIII Regional Consultative Forum of the PCGIR, held in Panama City, Panama, where political consensus around the need for anticipatory action was translated into firm agreements. Through its inclusion in the official declaration, anticipatory action was formalized as a key component of the PCGIR, under paragraph 17, which states:

“Advance from normative integration to the institutional operationalization of anticipatory action, promoting the implementation of the Regional Strategy and national roadmaps with allocated budgets that ensure timely protection for at-risk populations; generate evidence of its effectiveness; and harmonize joint frameworks of action that integrate anticipatory action with other disaster risk management and social protection mechanisms, ensuring governance, monitoring, and continuous improvement.”

A thematic event on anticipatory action

Reflecting the prominence of anticipatory action within the Regional Consultative Forum, the GTAA LAC, with support from the Anticipation Hub, organized a full-day thematic event that gathered more than 100 participants. This enabled SICA countries to jointly assess the current state of anticipatory action in the region, and to reflect on how these efforts align with the regional priorities outlined in the PRGIRD.

Presenting anticipatory action within a high-level political space strengthened the shared understanding of its strategic value, while fostering a sense of joint responsibility among national institutions, regional bodies and cooperation partners.

What’s next for the region?

Through its global Anticipatory Humanitarian Action project, funded by German Federal Foreign Office, the German Red Cross and the Anticipation Hub will continue supporting national and regional stakeholders in developing and strengthening anticipatory action frameworks, and integrating them into DRM policies and systems at national, subnational, and regional levels.

At the same time, and within the framework of a new DG ECHO-funded project, a consortium formed by CEPREDENAC, FAO, the German Red Cross and WFP will work to integrate anticipatory action into DRM systems and social protection mechanisms. This aims to support Central American governments in adopting anticipatory approaches for weather-related hazards, with a focus on reducing food and nutrition insecurity in vulnerable communities.