Money talks: a focus on financing anticipatory action at the 14th Global Dialogue Platform

Money talks: a focus on financing anticipatory action at the 14th Global Dialogue Platform

The expansion of anticipatory action over the past decade has been rapid. Starting with a few pilot projects, this approach is now implemented in more than 50 countries worldwide. Yet in order to keep advancing – and to protect more people ahead of forecastable hazards – there will need to be a similar shift in financing. How to achieve this is the central theme at this year’s Global Dialogue Platform, taking place online and Berlin this week.

To date, the majority of funding for this approach has been provided by a small number of donor governments. During the morning panel discussions, Franziska Schirmer, German Federal Foreign Office, outlined how Germany – the biggest donor to date – regularly raises the importance of anticipatory action with other governments. "We believe this should be integral to [other] donors’ strategies," she said. "We cannot force other governments to step in; we can only show [them] that anticipatory action... is more efficient and more cost-effective – [and] this is what everybody wants.” 

While more governments are now supporting this approach, there is also a need to diversify the financing base for anticipatory action. Possible alternative sources include international financial institutions, climate and development funds, as well as philanthropic private-sector funds. The latter of these offer the opportunity not just for more financial support, but also the chance to explore new approaches to funding anticipatory action. “We [foundations] can fund differently: we can do it faster, take more risks, and often over a longer term than traditional donors,” explained Hayley Kornblum, IKEA Foundation. “This can help to build the systems countries need, or help to develop new models and innovations in a way that is often difficult for public donors."

Conversations about how to finance anticipatory action in the future will continue over the next two days, including a deeper look at how to channel the funds that are available, as well as innovative solutions to persistent financing challenges. Other sessions coming up tackle a diverse range of themes: everything from institutionalizing anticipatory action within government systems to new developments in evidence and learning.