FAO emergencies and resilience

Anticipatory Action

©FAO

FAO is forging a way for a faster, more effective humanitarian system by shifting from disaster response to anticipation.

Anticipatory action is changing the way we manage disasters. Acting ahead of crises means protecting people's lives and livelihoods with benefits that reach far into the future.

Disasters are predictable. Thanks to technological advances, early warning information is more accurate and readily available than ever before. The FAO anticipatory action approach uses risk analysis and forecasts to trigger interventions before a crisis escalates into a humanitarian emergency. This is particularly critical in the agriculture sector. For small-scale farmers, heeding early warning signals can make the difference between a shock and a crisis.

News
News
Protecting livelihood assets through anticipatory actions in flood-prone communities in northwestern Bangladesh
21/06/2021

Floods are an annual occurrence in Bangladesh, and the risk weighs heavily on families when the monsoon season begins.

News
Window to prevent famine in Yemen is narrowing; UN agencies warn
03/12/2020

Levels of hunger reach record levels, requiring urgent action

Publications
Publications
Annual report 2024: Norway’s contribution to the Special Fund for Emergency and Resilience Activities
05/2025

The Special Fund for Emergency and Resilience Activities (SFERA) enables the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to respond...

Publications
El Niño 2023–2024: Evidence from FAO's anticipatory action interventions - May 2025
05/2025

Ahead of the 2023–2024 El Niño-induced hazards, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) implemented anticipatory actions in...

Publications
Saving lives, time and money: Evidence from anticipatory action - May 2025
05/2025

In the context of an existential funding crisis, soaring levels of humanitarian need and a spiralling number of extreme weather events, each dollar...

Project highlights
Publications
Colombia: Project Highlights - OSRO/COL/135/GER
04/2025

Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, through the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities - Anticipatory Action Window, contributed USD...

Publications
Subregional West Africa: Project Highlights - OSRO/SFW/007/GER
03/2025

The Federal Government of Germany, contributed USD 3 million, through the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities – Anticipatory Action...

Publications
Somalia: Project Highlights - UTF/SOM/067/SOM
03/2025

The Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia and the World Bank contributed USD 13 177 000 to the FAO project , "Anticipatory action and early...

Multimedia
Video
Community Perspectives on Anticipatory Action in the Asia and the Pacific Region
17/03/2025

When disasters strike, communities are often the first to act to protect their families and neighbours. In response to the increasing frequency and...

Video
Government Perspectives on Anticipatory Action in the Asia and the Pacific Region
17/03/2025

In response to the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, governments across the Asia-Pacific region are protecting livelihoods and...