IFRC: Acting before disasters key to saving lives, protecting development in South America

By the IFRC

(This story is an IFRC press release issued in Santiago, Chile last Thursday.)

More than 100 representatives from governments, international organizations, civil society, and communities affected by emergencies and disasters participated in the 7th Platform for Dialogue on Anticipatory Action in South America, held in Santiago, Chile, under the slogan Act sooner, protect better: strengthening anticipatory action in South America.

Anticipatory Action is an innovative approach that seeks to prepare and protect communities and their livelihoods before disasters strike. This is achieved by using science, technology, and the knowledge of specialists and the population itself to develop measures that, when implemented before crises, help to keep people and their vital resources and assets safe.

These measures may include cash transfers, forecast-based decision-making, early warning systems, drills, training, and distribution of essential items.

The event was a key space for sharing lessons learned and strengthening anticipatory action in the face of increasingly intense and frequent floods, droughts, landslides, and hydrometeorological phenomena in South America. 

‘Strategic pillar’

It was organized by the Anticipation Hub and the Chilean Red Cross, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Practical Action, the IFRC, the American and German Red Cross, the Start Network, and the Danish Refugee Council.

“Acting earlier, protecting better is the essence of Anticipatory Action: transforming response into prevention and reducing the impact on people’s lives. FAO has prioritized this approach as a strategic pillar for safeguarding agricultural livelihoods and food security, integrating it into its emergency and resilience programs around the world,” said Maya Takagi, Regional Program Leader at the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, during the opening of the meeting.

For her part, Loyce Pace, IFRC Director for the Americas, stressed that “in times of uncertainty and limited investment in humanitarian action, being prepared is not optional: it is vital.

“Although we do not know exactly when the next disaster will strike, we do know that it is possible to anticipate and reduce its impact by promoting local and global initiatives that combine science, technology, data, and public policy.

“Governments, civil society, the private sector, and humanitarian and cooperation agencies must join forces to make every dollar, every minute, and every life count.”

Although the exact figures vary, for every US dollar invested in risk reduction and prevention, up to US$ 15 can be saved in recovery costs after a disaster. 

Operational frameworks

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the IFRC and its network of Red Cross societies promote Anticipatory Action by strengthening early warning systems, disseminating emergency alerts, combating misinformation, partnering with forecasting centres, and continuously conducting drills.

They also develop evacuation and shelter plans for people and animals and integrate anticipatory initiatives into national policies and budgets.

At its meeting in Santiago, Chile, the dialogue platform promoted innovative solutions, the strengthening of synergies, and the integration of Anticipatory Action into institutional and operational frameworks for South American countries.

Since 2018, the dialogue platforms in Arequipa (Peru), Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), Panama City (Panama), Antigua Guatemala (Guatemala), San Pedro Sula (Honduras), and Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) have been instrumental in consolidating a regional community of practice that promotes cooperation between governments, subregional organizations, humanitarian actors, scientists, and community members.

The Santiago meeting reinforces this process, renewing the region’s commitment to anticipatory action in the face of disasters and crises.

Angela Blanco, FAO Officer, Emergency and Resilience for Latin America and the Caribbean, speaks at the seventh Platform for Dialogue on Anticipatory Action in South America, held in Santiago last week, where members of the Chilean Red Cross demonstrated a game for communities and volunteers on how to manage risks associated with wildfires. (Photo: Cristina Arancibia/FAO)