Changing the way disasters are managed

Abstract

Climate-driven hazards and conflicts are increasing in intensity and frequency. The impact on local economies, people’s lives and their livelihoods has similarly increased. Approximately 8 out of 10 people who are acutely food insecure rely on crops, fisheries, livestock or forestry assets for their survival. However, one crisis can follow another, every time stripping away these hard-earned but limited resources. To safeguard these critical assets, FAO’s approach is shifting from a reactive mind-set to one focused on mitigation and prevention.

Social protection and Early Warning Early Action systems are key tools to mitigate risks. In the context of a changing climate, FAO is working towards supporting national governments to build flexible social protection systems to maximize their effectiveness to prevent the negative impact of hazards. To achieve this, FAO is planning to integrate Early Warning Aarly Action systems into this model – using critical early warning information to act at the right time, before a risk turns into an emergency. Working hand-in-hand, these two modalities can improve how disasters are managed.