Anticipatory action (AA) refers to interventions which take place prior to the onset of a disaster based on context monitoring or forecasts, rather than undertaking emergency response efforts once an event has occurred. This proactive approach is shown to reduce the impact of disasters on people’s lives and livelihoods, reduce the cost of the response, and protect development gains. According to UNOCHA, it is estimated that half of today’s crises are somewhat predictable, and 20 percent are highly predictable. Research shows that early action can be up to seven times more cost effective than responding to a disaster after it has already occurred. 

Zambia

Riverine and Flash Floods

Zambia is impacted by a variety of disasters including floods, drought, extreme temperatures, epidemics, crop pest infestation and population movement. Climate change and variability is increasing the scale, frequency and intensity of disasters in Zambia, particularly flash floods and riverine floods. Heavy rainfall affected southern Zambia in February 2025, causing severe floods and flash floods that resulted in population displacement and damage. CRS Zambia Country activated its Anticipatory Action flood protocol and responded in the pilot areas of Chirundu and Chilanga districts by aiding in the evacuation of vulnerable households and supporting evacuation centers with food and water. Due to the early actions taken, locally based responders were trained to provide first aid; community-based readiness structures were strengthened, and the local population was better prepared to respond to and protect themselves from the February flooding. The Zambia country program team is currently part of a multilateral task force that includes the UN, Red Cross and government actors that is developing a National Anticipatory Action Protocol for floods, droughts and cholera. 

Uganda

Riverine Floods and Landslides

Uganda is grappling with a complex and intricate issue of climate risks that have profound impacts on its socio-economic stability and environmental health. The nation is subjected to a range of climate-induced hazards, encompassing rising temperatures, erratic rainfall cycles, and severe weather phenomena like floods and related incidents such as landslides. Due to forecasts of a higher-than-average rain during the upcoming rainy season, CRS Uganda activated their anticipatory action protocol for floods and landslides in the Mt. Elgon region of Eastern Uganda. The country program team, along with local partner Caritas Tororo and government counterparts are currently reinforcing riverbanks, planning evacuation routes, conducting evacuation drills and taking other actions to prepare the community for expected flooding and landslides. During the rainy season, when floods are forecasted, the team will  provide early warning notifications to the community, support evacuation, and provide cash assistance to vulnerable households so they can meet their basic needs while they are displaced. These activities are expected to reach over 3,000 households. The project team is combining local indigenous knowledge of flood prediction with more scientific forecasts and local river level monitoring to create an early warning system that is more accurate and relevant to the communities where the flooding is likely to occur.

Afghanistan

Drought

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries. In 2025, Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis, with nearly half the population requiring urgent emergency support and a third of the population facing acute hunger due to economic collapse, inflation, and poor harvests. In Afghanistan, climate change makes disasters more acute, droughts last longer, flooding is more severe and food insecurity a chronic problem. Much of the population in Afghanistan is heavily reliant on subsistence agriculture and livestock, making them particularly vulnerable to environmental and socio-economic shocks. The Afghanistan Country Office activated their drought protocol based on forecasts of severe drought from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and FEWS NET. Despite improved precipitation in February and early March, cumulative precipitation from October 2024 to February 2025 was below average.  With March to May precipitation also expected to be below-average and temperatures above average, severe drought was forecasted for west Herat province, in particular west and south for March and April with the impacts of the drought lasting through September. The Afghanistan country program team is providing information and support to small holders with livestock in west Herat including cash for fodder to help livestock survive through the drought. 

Philippines

Tropical Storms/Typhoons

Climate change continues to intensify the magnitude and frequency of typhoons in the Philippines. The 2024 typhoon season was staggering, with six typhoons affecting the country within one month. This clustering of storms affected more than 13 million people, destroying lives and livelihoods and putting enormous strain on resources. While the 2025 typhoon season is not expected to be quite as severe, due to the high level of exposure of the project area and local indications that the season (May – October) will be strong, the Philippines country team’s protocol was activated in April. The Philippines country program team and their local partners are supporting 2,600 households to prepare for the upcoming typhoon season with a variety of preparedness activities like planning evacuation routes, creating emergency plans, conducting evacuation simulations and identifying the most vulnerable households in the community. When a typhoon is expected to strike the pilot area, the communities will receive emergency evacuation messages and the most vulnerable households will receive Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to support the evacuation of their families, livestock and livelihoods assets, cover their basic needs while they are in evacuation centers, and to help them re-establish their lives after they return home.

Explore the regions where CRS is transforming lives through your generosity. From Africa to Latin America, discover stories of hope and resilience across the globe.

With a team of Communications staff around the world, we can provide real-time updates during emergencies and on a wide variety of current issues and events facing the developing world and the international community.