Forecasting hazards, averting disasters

7.2   Embedding FbA in financing and 

delivery systems at scale

Somewhat different from the examples in Table 2, the 

global ENSO SOPs (developed by the IASC) aim to 

support the coordination of early action at international, 

regional and country levels. Although tailored to different 

country contexts, the SOPs are linked to a global analytical 

cell of climatological, humanitarian and development 

experts assessing forecasts, vulnerability and coping 

capacity to identify countries at high risk of being affected 

by an El Niño/La Niña event. In a first test run in 2016–

2017, 19 high-risk countries were alerted and offered 

support in early action planning and implementation. This 

indicates the potential for implementing FbA at scale to 

support coordination and anticipatory action through the 

international humanitarian system, and in collaboration 

with national governments. 

At country level, operating at scale could mean 

coordinating FbA initiatives and stakeholders in contexts 

where government capacity and an enabling environment 

are in place. Close cooperation between humanitarian 

and government agencies, as well as collaboration 

between different sectors and ministries, were highlighted 

as crucial in the key informant interviews. In Mongolia 

and Peru, for example, government agencies coordinate 

forecasting and risk assessments with the Red Cross and 

FAO so that they can also coordinate interventions, with 

some actors focusing only on the highest-risk areas of the 

country, and others including areas that are less likely to 

be hit by a disaster.