The role of anticipatory action in protracted food crises
This study sought to understand how and when can development, climate change and humanitarian actors best support households to protect the livelihoods and wellbeing in the face of repeated or ongoing food crises forecasted to worsen? It explored the role that AA could play in such contexts by capturing the voices of people and families who lived through the 2021-2023 drought in parts of Kenya and Somaliland.
The study concludes that there is a role for AA in protracted droughts and makes recommendations on how it should be considered in such contexts. Communities should be supported to adopt a comprehensive approach to disaster risk management (DRM) that includes anticipatory action. Without the wider components of early warning and disaster risk reduction, AA will not have the desired impact. This includes support for early warning and preparedness systems.
- The first step is to build deep community awareness about the need for such an approach – without it anticipatory action will be built on sinking sand.
- In parallel, the agropastoral, water, education, and health systems serving these communities need strengthening.
- Anticipatory action in protracted drought should be promoted. AA initiatives to protect livelihoods are best suited for agropastoral households that still have livelihoods left to protect.
- While AA has an important role in protracted crises, it is unlikely to be sufficient to mitigate the full impact of any crisis.