New briefings examine how anticipatory action works in practice

Six new briefings from the Anticipation Hub explore different aspects of how anticipatory action works in practice. Written by Yolanda Clatworthy, they examine a number of projects that implemented anticipatory approaches ahead of different hazards.

Three of these briefings focus on country case studies, drawing on interviews with the stakeholders involved in each project to obtain first-hand insights into how anticipatory approaches are implemented. These include:

• actions implemented ahead of typhoons in the Philippines, including the evacuation of livestock, early harvests (cash for work), and the distribution of shelter-strengthening kits
• how heat waves pose a growing threat in urban areas, using a case study of Hanoi, Viet Nam
• the challenge of implementing anticipatory action during the Covid-19 pandemic, as experienced before Cyclone Amphan in Bangladesh.

Others analysed the outcomes from more than one country to summarize some major lessons for this field. These include a discussion of the co-benefits of anticipatory action, as identified by experts and practitioners working in this field. Another looks at how partnerships are needed to develop the triggers (forecast thresholds) that are an essential element of many anticipatory approaches. Finally, one briefing looks in depth at a specific funding mechanism for anticipatory action: the IFRC’s Forecast-based Action by the Disaster Response Emergency Fund.