Fiji Tropical Cyclones - 2023 Anticipatory Action Framework

Approved by the RC on 3 November 2023
Endorsed by the USG/ERC OCHA on 13 November 2023

Introduction

Pacific Island countries are among the most vulnerable to natural hazards exacerbated by climate change, and there is a growing interest in scaling up anticipatory action in the region to support vulnerable communities before a hazard strikes.

Following several years of piloting, OCHA is mainstreaming and scaling-up anticipatory action. In its 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, OCHA commits to “support and facilitate a systemic shift to coherent and embedded anticipatory approaches, including anticipatory action. OCHA will use its own financing tools to facilitate, generate evidence for and scale up collective anticipatory action.” OCHA implements this strategy – inter alia – by facilitating coordinated, collective anticipatory action frameworks.

In March 2023 the Pacific Anticipatory Action Week brought together 15 governments and national/regional development partners in Nadi, Fiji. Following these discussions, Fiji was identified as a potential pilot for coordinated anticipatory action financed through OCHA-managed pooled funds.

After close consultations with the Government and operational partners, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Fiji formally requested UN support for collective anticipatory action for tropical cyclones in Fiji. Two weeks later, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator approved the request, including pre-arranged CERF financing, encouraging the United Nations in country to collaborate closely with the government; to build on existing systems; to identify co-financing; and to document the impact of the pilot. Furthermore, the partners agreed to build on the existing resilience of vulnerable populations.

This pilot builds on existing disaster risk management capacity of Fiji, including well established climate and disaster risk governance, early warning systems and coordination structures. The need for enhanced early warning and response to a range of hazards, including tropical cyclones, has been identified as priority in national policy settings, including the National Adaptation Plan and National DRR policy. Fijis’ recent national midterm review report on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR also identified the need for strengthened early warning system in the country, which further supports its inclusion as a pilot country under the Early Warning for All initiative.

In line with best practices for anticipatory action to minimize and address the impact of sudden onset climate-related disasters, this framework for coordinated anticipatory action to tropical cyclones in Fiji pre-agrees when and on what basis there will be a trigger ahead of a specific storm; how much pre-arranged financing will go to whom; and for what pre-agreed activities the funding will be used for. This framework also includes provisions to document the impact of the pilot.