Anticipatory action as a lever for disaster risk reduction in Madagascar

Every year, millions of people experience the devastating consequences of climate change that exacerbate the risks of humanitarian disaster. Indeed, causing human and economic losses and lasting trauma, the effects can be catastrophic, particularly for people with disabilities and vulnerable populations. Yet the impact of these climate hazards can be prevented or mitigated. Madagascar, exposed to a multitude of climate hazards such as floods, droughts and tropical cyclones, is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Through anticipatory action, HI is helping communities on the Grande île to prepare for these risks, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

An innovative approach to disaster risk reduction

Disaster risk is the result of the interaction between exposure to a natural hazard, vulnerability factors and coping capacity. This risk is amplified by the effects of climate change, which can increase the frequency and intensity of hazards, increase the uncertainty of cyclone trajectories and modify seasonal calendars. In addition, the root causes of vulnerability, such as poorly resilient livelihoods, discriminatory social norms, weakened infrastructures or lack of access to basic services can exacerbate risks.

In Madagascar, to help communities cope with these phenomena, HI has been carrying out inclusive risk reduction interventions, including prevention, risk mitigation and disaster preparedness. Anticipatory action in particular is a promising and innovative approach to disaster risk management. This approach aims to take measures in anticipation of potential disasters with a view to preventing and mitigating hazard impacts before they are fully felt. Fara Rakotondrazanany, a specialist in inclusive disaster risk management at HI Madagascar, explains:

“The principle of disaster risk reduction (DRR) is to take action in anticipation of hazard impacts in order to prevent them from becoming acute and keep human and economic losses to a minimum. Disasters are not “natural”; they are the result of inaction and systemic inequalities. It is estimated that around 55% of humanitarian crises linked to natural hazards are foreseeable, so it is possible to save lives, reduce impacts and preserve essential services in affected areas.”

And as with any new approach, inclusion must be at the heart of the actions taken to ensure they are having a positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable populations and that no one is being left behind.

Inclusion, at the heart of the process at HI

Disasters don't affect everyone in the same way. Inequalities linked to individual factors such as disability, gender, age, socio-economic status or ethnic origin influence the barriers that people face and thus their vulnerability to hazards. These individual characteristics can combine to create multiple situations of exclusion and discrimination. They can affect people's needs, exposure to risks, abilities and aptitudes to varying degrees. People with disabilities, for example, in addition to suffering discrimination on a daily basis, are often overlooked or even completely excluded from DRR decision-making processes. 

“These gaps can take different forms, ranging from warning systems that don't take their specific needs into account to lack of accessibility during preventive evacuation and at accommodation sites,” says Fara Rakotondrazanany.

HI places inclusion at the heart of its activities to give a voice to these at-risk populations so that their reality is taken into account and policies and practices reflect the diversity of their needs. Olivier Manana is president of an organisation of people with disabilities that has been working in the Ambilobe district of northern Madagascar since 2000. His organisation has been working alongside HI on its anticipatory action activities. He explains: 

“There's still a lot to be done at state level to identify people’s vulnerabilities and therefore their specific needs, but we've already achieved a great deal with HI. Information relays are more effective now and people with disabilities are better integrated and more active via our organisation. And most importantly, I've noticed that thanks to HI's approach, other NGOs are starting to change their practices with regard to inclusion. This is very good news for the future!”

Other initiatives are still needed to develop more inclusive practices before, during and after disasters. To this end, HI is working on a number of levels and with a multitude of actors to improve inclusion throughout the entire disaster risk reduction ecosystem.

Wide-ranging efforts 

To implement effective DRR strategies and anticipatory action protocols, a number of assessments are needed to help us understand the experiences of communities and identify solutions to better protect them. For the last three years, HI has been deploying the ATRIKA project in two regions of northern Madagascar, Boeny and Diana, which are regularly hit by cyclones. This project, dedicated to inclusive anticipatory action, has been focusing its activities at institutional level as well as directly with local populations.

At the institutional level, HI has ensured that governance, policies and coordination mechanisms such as anticipatory action protocols are inclusive and equitable. National and regional risk management actors have benefited from training and equipment.

“This has meant acting as a resource for local decision-makers and other DRR stakeholders (law enforcement, firefighters, NGOs and associations...)to strengthen their understanding and support their efforts to integrate inclusion issues into public policies,” explains Angelo Randrianantenaina, ATRIKA project manager for HI Madagascar.

To intervene locally and help people with disabilities protect, adapt and promote their rights, HI adopted a participatory approach. By conducting participatory capacity and vulnerability assessments in the communes and fokontany , our teams were able to analyse the impacts of past disasters, identify the most at-risk households and find solutions that take into account people’s specific needs according to age, gender and disability. Once the inclusive anticipatory action protocols had been developed, they ran awareness-raising and training sessions and tested the protocols in simulation exercises.

“I really want to thank HI for this project. The results are proof that our collaboration was a success! We've pushed back the boundaries and changed our practices in line with the needs of those most at risk in our district, especially people with disabilities. It's a big step forward. Even if there's still a lot to be done and the cyclone season will be starting in a few months' time, I think I can say that we feel more prepared and better able to cope with it,” concludes Yvette Patine, Ambilobe District Manager in charge of development support.