Lessons from Haiyan: FAO Urges more Investments in Enhancing Resilience via Anticipatory Action through Social Protection
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Philippines says that innovative and scalable solutions are good investments to ensure food security and protect agricultural livelihoods from disasters
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Philippines today called for more investments to enhance the country’s resilience, particularly in agriculture, ten years after Typhoon Haiyan, locally known as Super Typhoon Yolanda, devastated central Philippines. This includes the adoption of the Anticipatory Action (AA) approach and providing support to poor and vulnerable farmers and fisherfolk families ahead of forecast shocks, using the government’s robust social protection systems and programs.
FAO Representative in the Philippines Lionel Dabbadie said that a decade after Typhoon Haiyan, “There is a need to increase investments to enhance the country’s resilience and promote a more inclusive and sustainable future for agriculture. The adoption of the Anticipatory Action approach through shock-responsive social protection is an innovative and scalable solution that can help save more lives and protect agricultural livelihoods before disasters strike.”
In its latest report on ‘The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2023,’ the FAO said that Anticipatory Action is a proven cost-effective measure for mitigating the impact of disasters with significant resilience dividends. An estimated USD 3.8 trillion worth of crops and livestock production has been lost due to disasters over the last three decades, equivalent to an average loss of USD 123 billion annually, or 5 percent of annual global agricultural GDP, according to the report.
Anticipatory Action means acting ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce acute humanitarian impacts before they fully unfold, with a window of opportunity set between an early warning trigger and when the actual impact of the hazard is felt on lives and livelihoods. The FAO has calculated that a dollar invested this way could yield seven dollars in benefits and avoided losses.
The FAO has been holding simulation exercises in disaster-prone regions in the Philippines since 2021 in partnership with local governments and communities, alongside international humanitarian agencies and non-government organizations. Its latest round of simulations was conducted in low-lying barangays in Gigaquit in Surigao del Norte in September and Pigcawayan in North Cotabato in October 2023, with the provincial and municipal governments. The drills tested the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment protocols of government, communication flow and coordination for the delivery of flexible interventions such as multipurpose cash assistance through digital wallets and remittance centers.
Dabbadie added that the exercises in Central Mindanao have successfully demonstrated the viability for adopting the approach, integrated with existing disaster risk reduction and management procedures. “Interventions such as provision of cash aid are critical in purchasing food and other basic commodities before an evacuation to address food insecurity, while the early evacuation of boats, livestock and other assets protect agricultural livelihoods,” he noted.
The simulations were supported by the European Union. Ms. Arlynn Aquino, Programme Officer for EU humanitarian aid, underscored that the EU has stepped up its support for this proactive humanitarian approach globally, to help mitigate the impacts of climate change on at-risk populations, in collaboration with governments.
“Haiyan has taught us that partnerships with governments at all levels and local communities are critical, so we can optimize existing social protection programs and systems to reach more vulnerable populations with timely interventions, especially in Mindanao which continues to suffer from socio-political hazards and armed conflict,” Aquino stressed.
From 2013-2018, FAO’s Typhoon Haiyan donor-backed program addressed the emergency and early recovery of more than 230,405 farming and fishing communities in five regions in the country, aimed at restoring livelihoods and building resilience to disasters.
In the Philippines, FAO has been working with humanitarian and development partners in piloting the approach at the local government level and helping build their capacity since 2018. In August this year, FAO and EU humanitarian aid, together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development launched the ‘Building on Social Protection for Anticipatory Action and Response in Emergencies and Disasters’ or B-SPARED pilot project.