Although the traditional model of disaster relief is based on post-event aid, some agencies are exploring ways to pre-emptively provide assistance for disasters with long lead times, such as cyclones. In Devex, writer Burton Bollag looks at a German disaster relief fund from the Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The Forecast-Based Action Fund, with annual funding of $2.5 million, was established in May 2018 and is “designed to mitigate and even prevent the damage and trauma caused by natural disasters,” according to the Red Cross.
The idea of the fund, much like similar funds in Bangladesh, Mozambique, and Peru, is to forecast disasters using weather and historical data that would then cause a preplanned response to swing into action.
“For example, a combination of forecast rainfall combined with the level of a river at a certain point can be used to activate funding for downstream evacuations and the distribution of shelter kits for those who have been moved to safer ground,” writes Bollag.
Source:
https://www.devex.com/news/could-we-deliver-aid-before-a-disaster-strikes-93077
