Early Warning > Early Action: why it matters! and why we need each other! 1
Red Cross in the Pacific
OUR LINK BETWEEN PACIFIC POLICY AND COMMUNITY ACTIONS Pacific Resilience Partnership National level Pacific National Red Cross Joint National Action Plans National Disaster Management Council National Climate Change Council Sub-national level Red Cross Branch Local Government Disaster Committee Community level Island disaster action plan Community Disaster Committee VOLUNTARY ACTION
OUR REGIONAL REPRESENTATION MOU CROP agencies MOU Pacific Island Forum member states and territories (18) Pacific Red Cross National Societies and overseas branches Red Cross law (16) MOU Pacific National Private Sector Organisations and business councils
Secretariat of Pacific Regional Environment Program MOU Climate Services Climate Change adaptation Early Warning/Early Action Forecast-based action pilot and link to policy Environment Green Climate Fund EU GCCA+ Pacific Island Forum member states and territories (18) Pacific Red Cross National Societies and overseas branches (16)
Pacific Community Pacific Community member states and territories (18) MOU Pacific Red Cross National Societies and overseas branches (16) Risk & vulnerability mapping Water and Sanitation Early Warning/Early action Forecast-based early action Disaster risk reduction in schools National Disaster preparedness Disaster response coordination Healthy lifestyles for youth? Green Climate Fund EU GCCA+
2 Paradigm shift: from disaster response to early warning early action Routinely taking actions Before the occurrence of a disaster or health emergency Or in anticipation of a future disaster risk Making full use of available scientific information and/or traditional knowledge About this specific hazardous event.
Early warning > Early action - approach Early Warnings are not enough If we want to inform and protect people at the last mile We need early warnings to reach all people in all households and all locations and situations. We need for people to be able to understand the information and what impact will it have on their live and livelihoods Take appropriate actions
13 Forecast-based actions & financing An FbF system releases funding for pre-determined preparedness actions before a disaster strikes, based on forecasts and risk information Aims to remove early warning early action bottlenecks 1. Lack of funding available to be used in window between an early warning and before a disaster 2. Lack of operational protocols for mobilising action in this window - An anticipatory humanitarian system
14 Forecast-based financing: three components PARTNERSHIPS Early Action Protocol FORECAST TRIGGER Agreed/ Predefind actions Preparedness Fund
Proposed forecast-based financing elements in Solomon Islands EARLY ACTION PROTOCOL TRIGGER SYSTEM Will align with and is included in Government s National Drought Plan National ENSO status Subnational Rainfall Deficit To be developed with national stakeholders AGREED ACTION 1. SIRC actions (with Govt) 2. SIRC actions (with Govt) + SIRC support Govt sectors 3. SIRC actions (with Govt) + SIRC support Govt sectors + Govt Sectors take action under own support plans PREPAREDNESS FUND 1. IFRC fund 2. IFRC fund 3. National or Regional Fund
Flexible financing mechanisms Pursuit of national or regional level pooled funding mechanism to allow government and their partners access to anticipatory funds (in alignment with the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FDRP), as a Pacific Resilience Partnership initiative
Challenges Getting all stakeholders FbA ready takes time and resources Institutionalization takes time Sustainable regional and national funding for FbA
17 In summary It is community level volunteers and branch staff who are able to support preparedness and response activities Undertaking this work requires partnerships with national governments, their mandated meteorological and disaster management offices and other climate and disaster risk actors Undertaking this work requires support to conduct EWEA pilots and initiatives and to establish systems and funds
17 In summary Understanding risk and mapping of risk & vulnerability profiles of communities is key Move away from project funding and ensure sustainabilityworking through existing mechanisms and partnerships_ Red Cross is always there! Put the last mile, first! to make science and forecasts relevant, we need to consider the humanitarian impact
For further information Contact IFRC Stephanie Zoll Stephanie.ZOLL@ifrc.org Contact Red Cross Climate Centre Olivia Warrick Warrick@climatecentre.org