New mindset for disaster management

As a nation perennially grappling with the devastating impacts of typhoons, it is ironic that the Philippines is always on edge.

Last month, the country was once again battered by disaster impacts as Typhoon “Egay” left over P1 billion in damage in the province of Cagayan alone—damaging over 20,000 houses and displacing over 204,000 individuals, data from Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office shows.

We have heard this kind of news before. But with the rapidly intensifying climate impacts, as confirmed by scientists, the Philippines is likely to experience similar, if not, stronger catastrophes.

This recurring devastation demands a critical reevaluation of the nation’s disaster management approach. The conventional “wait and respond” mindset, driven by an overdependence on post-disaster aid, has proven inadequate in mitigating the human and economic toll. The sad truth is that in this cycle of destruction and recovery, it is the marginalized populations that bear the brunt of the catastrophe, with their lives and livelihoods swept away, often indefinitely.

The Philippines, known to the world as the poster child of disaster impacts, cannot afford to perpetuate a reactive disaster management strategy.

One way to overcome this grim cycle is to institutionalize anticipatory action (AA), an innovative approach that links early warnings to a set of interventions aimed at protecting families and their assets ahead of a hazard.

Globally, AA is taking center stage to help address climate-related risks. In 2022, the Group of Seven (G7) leaders committed to strengthen AA in humanitarian assistance. The G7, along with the Vulnerable 20 Group of Finance Ministers, also launched the Global Shield against Climate Risks, an initiative for pre-arranged financial support designed to be quickly deployed in times of climate disasters.

In the Philippines, a group of government institutions and humanitarian organizations have formed the National AA Technical Working Group (TWG) to intensify efforts in institutionalizing the anticipatory approach in the country. The TWG includes the Food and Agriculture Organization, Start Network, World Food Programme, Philippine Red Cross, German Red Cross, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the UN Children’s Fund, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Science and Technology, the Office of Civil Defense, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Budget and Management, and other government and humanitarian agencies.

AA utilizes advanced meteorological data and predictive modeling to complement disaster risk financing (DRF), which enables authorities and humanitarian institutions to proactively safeguard lives ahead of a disaster impact through early deployment of funds.

Risk-based financing leaves no one behind. It conforms to the imperative that disaster management should be locally led, effective, and efficient, and done in a continuum manner as it allows local communities to take control of its response—minimizing delays and optimizing resource allocation to make sure that it is based on the needs of forefront communities and not on the budget.

Its effectiveness lies in its ability to mitigate the ripple effects of a disaster through community empowerment and local leadership. For instance, early disbursement of multipurpose cash grants through DRF can be used to evacuate the most at-risk households to a safer location, enable them to secure food and other essential needs, and strengthen shelters. For other vulnerable sectors, such as farmers, cash grants can aid early harvesting to ensure that not all produce is destroyed by a typhoon.

DRF and AA also allow communities to take matters into their hands. By mobilizing local leaders, the needs and concerns of vulnerable sectors—women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities—are not overlooked.

With the synergy of local governments, community-based nongovernment organizations, and vulnerable communities committed to integrating AA and DRF in their disaster management plans, what humanity needs now is an enabling national policy that could help alleviate the suffering of communities.

In the long run, the Philippines can set a precedent for disaster-prone regions, advocating for a future where the devastating impact of disasters is mitigated through foresight and collective action.

AA and DRF stand to enable a crucial paradigm shift in disaster management, which holds the potential to substantially diminish humanitarian costs in the Philippines. This proactive approach is not merely a strategic choice; it is a moral imperative, doable and necessary.

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Arvin Caro has more than 10 years of experience in disaster risk reduction. He is the country crisis financing advisor of Start Network, managing humanitarian financing systems in the Philippines.