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
El Niño: FAO’s updated Anticipatory Action and Response Plan urgently requires $160 million to support over 4.8 million people through March 2024
09/11/2023
Prioritized actions in 34 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.

News
Anticipatory action...in action in Viet Nam
14/09/2023
The race to mitigate the impact of Typhoon Noru on lives and livelihoods

News
FAO and UK launch anticipatory action to reduce El Niño’s impact on at-risk communities in Somalia
16/08/2023
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the British Embassy Mogadishu (BEM) have launched an Anticipatory Action and Preparedness...
Publications

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
Sweden’s contribution to FAO’s emergencies operations, March 2025
03/2025
Sweden has reinforced its commitment to global food security with a total contribution of SEK 73 million (USD 7.23 million) to FAO’s emergencies operations...

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...
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
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...
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
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...
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...