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
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
News
Sierra Leone: Belgium supports anticipatory actions against the secondary impacts of COVID-19
02/07/2020
Implementing anticipatory actions to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on food supply chains and safeguard the livelihoods and food security...
Publications
Publications
El Niño: FAO–WFP Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal, June 2026–March 2027
06/2026
Developing strong El Niño conditions are set to intensify droughts and floods across Africa, Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean,...
Publications
Anticipatory action for El Niño in Latin America and the Caribbean
05/2026
This good practice factsheet documents FAO’s anticipatory action in response to El Niño across eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean between...
Publications
Durable solutions in action: FAO's approach to anticipatory action for displacement
05/2026
Conflict, disasters and displacement have reached record levels globally, leaving millions of people unable to return home and severely undermining...
Project highlights
Publications
Global: Project highlights – OSRO/GLO/1196–1233–1342/GER
05/2026
Scaling up anticipatory action to protect agricultural livelihoods and food security.
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...
Multimedia
Video
Preparedness and anticipation at the heart of disaster risk management in Burkina Faso
27/04/2026
FAO’s project entitled ‘Improving anticipation and preparedness for risks affecting fragile areas and food crises in Burkina Faso’, funded by the European...
Photo Collection
Somalia: Anticipatory drought response in Baidoa District
24/02/2026
View this gallery on Flickr.
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...