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Anticipating and responding to disasters

Anticipating and responding to disasters
Join us for a masterclass on Anticipatory Action, organised by KUNO, the University of Twente (UT)/ITC, the Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre-ISS, The Netherlands Red Cross' data and digital team, 510, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

About the masterclass

This masterclass aims to raise awareness and build knowledge on the motivations for, as well as on the how of anticipatory action (in more detail). It also seeks to facilitate critical reflection and explore its limitations. Through interactive sessions, participants will acquire a deeper, hands-on understanding of the practice of anticipatory action. The masterclass is designed for humanitarian practitioners, policy makers, academics and students.   

Anticipatory action

Anticipatory action refers to actions taken to reduce the humanitarian impacts of a forecast hazard before it occurs, or before its most acute impacts are felt. The decision to act is based on a forecast, or collective risk analysis, of when, where and how the event will unfold (IFRC 2020). It is a type of preemptive intervention informed by early warnings; for example, distributing cash transfers to farmers ahead of a predicted drought. It has been used to reduce the impacts of crises by triggering early actions before disasters unfold. It is used as an extension of humanitarian aid.

Anticipatory action is gaining increasing attention, also within the humanitarian field, and sees a rise in funding, for example, in the Netherlands and Germany. Anticipatory action started with small pilots in 2016. Since then, over 154 active frameworks have been developed in 48 countries, with at least 285 UN/Red Cross and NGOs involved and several donors.

Preliminary programme & speakers

Time: 13:00-13:45.
Plenary
Welcome and opening by Carla Jonkers, Manager Disaster Preparedness & Response Unit, The Netherlands Red Cross’ data and digital team, 510.
Presentation on anticipatory action, and on the work the Red Cross does in that context by Marc van Homberg, Professor Data4Disaster Resilience (UT/ITC) and Scientific Lead at The Netherlands Red Cross’ data and digital team, 510 & Eefje Hendriks, Assistant Professor of Disaster Resilience and Humanitarian Assistance (UT).

Eefje Hendriks will moderate the masterclass.

13:45-14:30
Plenary
Exchange with 3 humanitarian organisations  on their anticipatory action work, a case study and challenges on the ground. 

  • Lou van Rozendaal, Anticipatory Action Advisor and Humanitarian Project Lead at Oxfam Novib
  • Eva van Iwaarden, Humanitarian Aid Team Lead at Dorcas
  • Inge Vos, Sectorspecialist Livelihood and Food Securtity at ZOA

14:30 – 15:00
Break

15:00 – 16:15
Breakout groups
Break up into smaller groups for group activities guided by experts, to work towards resolving certain challenges in AA response. These are divided by different themes: 

  1. 1. Risks and Dilemmas: What can go wrong when anticipatory action is put into practice, and how can we navigate its trade-offs?

    • Rodrigo Mena, Assistant Professor of Disasters and Humanitarian Governance (the Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre-ISS)  & Deputy Director of the Humanitarian Studies Centre
    • Tanja Hendriks, Assistant Professor, Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University
  2. Localisation: How do you balance the technical opportunities to define trigger mechanisms with the need for local participation?
    • Sahara Sedhain, PhD candidate with a research focus on Anticipatory Action (UT/ITC)
    • Kees Boersma, Professor of Innovations in Crisis Management and Societal Resilience (VU)
  3. Silos: How do you work across silos on anticipatory action?
    • Marc van den Homberg, Professor Data4Disaster Resilience (UT/ITC) and Scientific Lead The Netherlands Red Cross’ data and digital team, 510
    • Corina Markodimitraki, Technical project coordinator 510 Global of the Red Cross
  4. Technical: How can trigger mechanisms be technically optimised?   
    • Norman Kerle, Full Professor of Geoinformatics for Disaster Risk Management (UT)

16:15-17:00 
Plenary
Panel conversation with speakers on working across silos/the disaster management phases (preparedness, AA and response) to reflect the reality on the ground. 

  • Carla Jonkers, Manager Disaster Preparedness & Response Unit, The Netherlands Red Cross’ data and digital team, 510
  • Hyeonggeun Ji, PhD Researcher at the Hague Humanitarian Studies Centre-ISS
  • Kamal Farah, CARE Somalia

17:00-18:00
Drinks and Networking 

Registration

This event is in-person only!
Please register by emailing kuno@kuno-platform.nl.

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