Anticipatory Action
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.
Related links
News
News
FAO and other humanitarian actors root for stronger collaboration and advocacy for anticipatory action in southern Africa
02/06/2021
Act early as one in scaling-up anticipatory humanitarian action
News
Window to prevent famine in Yemen is narrowing; UN agencies warn
03/12/2020
Levels of hunger reach record levels, requiring urgent action
News
Anticipatory action for COVID-19: building systems that protect livelihoods throughout a pandemic
05/08/2020
The impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis on food systems are vast and varied, and as of yet hard to predict. But nowhere are they...
Publications
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Publications
Anticipatory action: Annual report 2023
10/2024
In 2023, about 281 million people in 59 countries faced high levels of acute food insecurity, marking the fifth consecutive year of rising humanitarian...
Publications
Afghanistan: Minimizing secondary impacts of COVID-19 on agricultural livelihoods of food insecure households through Anticipatory Action
08/2022
In early 2020, a scenario analysis on the expected secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan pointed to a potential disruption of agricultural...
Publications
Myanmar: Mitigating a potential food crisis in Rakhine State and Ayeyarwady Region through Anticipatory Action
08/2022
The political crisis in Myanmar started on 1 February 2021, and by May 2021, political tensions and conflict had led to more than 114 000 people moving...
Project highlights
Publications
Afghanistan: Minimizing secondary impacts of COVID-19 on agricultural livelihoods of food insecure households through Anticipatory Action
08/2022
In early 2020, a scenario analysis on the expected secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan pointed to a potential disruption of agricultural...
Publications
Myanmar: Mitigating a potential food crisis in Rakhine State and Ayeyarwady Region through Anticipatory Action
08/2022
The political crisis in Myanmar started on 1 February 2021, and by May 2021, political tensions and conflict had led to more than 114 000 people moving...
Publications
Madagascar: Anticipatory Action to avert a Malagasy migratory locust upsurge
08/2022
Madagascar is highly prone to natural hazards, and in the Grand Sud region, three years of consecutive severe drought have wiped out harvests and hampered...
Multimedia
Photo collection
Mali: Anticipatory Actions to mitigate the risk of floods in the Sahel
20/02/2024
View this gallery on Flickr.
Video
Anticipatory Actions to mitigate the impact of floods in the Sahel
16/04/2024
In 2022, West Africa experienced some of the worst flooding on record. Millions lost their homes. Thousands lost their lives. The heavy rainfall destroyed...
Photo collection
Niger: Anticipatory Actions to mitigate the impact of floods
19/02/2024
Thanks to funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing Anticipatory...