Briefing note on anticipatory action: An innovative tool at the intersection of disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response

This briefing note outlines the perspectives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) on the status of Anticipatory Action (AA), their collaboration and future strategies for scaling up AA.

This paper also provides key considerations from the perspective of UNDRR and OCHA to scale up AA approaches, including:

1. Enhanced analytics and forecasting: Support risk knowledge and data tools to track disaster losses, analyze evolving risks, and develop impact-based forecasts.
2. Exploring anticipatory financing: Support national governments in integrating AA into disaster risk reduction financing strategies, secure donor commitments and investments, and continue exploring new and blended finance opportunities for AA.
3. Sustainable systems and continuous learning: Provide technical and financial support to governments and local actors for AA implementation, invest in early warning systems and loss and damage initiatives, and conduct cost-benefit analyses of AA.