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
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...

News
Zimbabwe: Belgium supports anticipatory action project
22/07/2020
Belgium contributes to an anticipatory action project aimed at enhancing the food security and nutrition of populations affected by COVID-19 in Zimbabwe
Publications

Publications
Cameroon: Reducing humanitarian needs in the Far North by scaling up anticipatory actions
08/2025
In Cameroon, the Far North region is grappling with a worsening multidimensional crisis – climatic, humanitarian and security-related – that severely...

Publications
Special Fund for Emergency and Resilience Activities (SFERA) – Annual report 2024
05/2025
The Special Fund for Emergency and Resilience Activities (SFERA) enables the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to take rapid...

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...
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...

Photo Collection
Bangladesh: Strengthening drought anticipatory action through community engagement
24/07/2025
Community engagement (CE) is a core practice of FAO's emergency and resilience portfolio, with the aim of improving the relevance, effectiveness, impacts...
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...