Strengthening national disaster risk management systems through integration of anticipatory action

This report explores how anticipatory action is being integrated into government disaster risk management systems, drawing on global trends and many concrete examples, along with two deep-dive country case studies - Nepal and Madagascar. The report consists of three sections. Firstly, unpacking the concept of integrating anticipatory action into government systems, elaborating on the added value of such integration. Secondly, the report provides an overview of current government engagement with anticipatory action, and barriers to this engagement. Thirdly, pathways and methodologies for integrating anticipatory action within government systems are explored, further examining legal and policy frameworks and disaster risk financing.

The report concludes that ancipiraiton must be made a routine part of disaster risk management. This should be done not through the creation of parallel systems, but rather build on and reinforce existing government-owned infrastructure, processes and funding mechanisms. Moreover, anticipatory action must be designed with and for communities, reflecting local knowledge, preferences and priorities across the DRM cycle - it is within this shift that the IFRC and National Societies have a unique role to play. Lastly, cross-cutting recommendations to advance sustainable and government-led anticipatory action are made for governments, humanitarian actors, and donors and development partners.