The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu has called on Eastern African governments and development partners to increase investment in anticipatory action to mitigate the devastating effects of climate-related disasters.

Speaking during the second edition of the East Africa Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action in Mombasa on Wednesday, Gebeyehu said the region must move beyond early warning systems and ensure resources reach vulnerable communities before disasters strike.

“A forecast alone does not protect a family, community or even a country,” he said, emphasising the need to link early warning information to timely decisions, funding and action on the ground.

Gebeyehu warned that droughts, floods, conflicts, economic pressures and public health emergencies continue to place immense strain on communities and institutions across Eastern Africa.

He noted that delayed responses often worsen humanitarian crises, even when warnings are issued in advance.

“We know, too often, that the warning comes before the disaster, but the resources arrive after the damage. That is the gap we have come here to close,” he said.

The IGAD chief said anticipatory action must be properly financed, institutionalised and integrated into national development and disaster risk management systems to deliver meaningful results.

He urged member states to incorporate anticipatory action into national budgets, contingency arrangements and disaster risk financing mechanisms.

“We cannot expect governments and local institutions to act before disasters if the resources are uncertain, fragmented or arrive too late,” Gebeyehu said.

He called for innovative and predictable financing that can be released once agreed risk thresholds are reached, allowing authorities to respond before the effects of disasters become irreversible.

Gebeyehu also urged development and humanitarian partners to invest in early warning systems, local institutions, community preparedness and financing mechanisms that enable timely interventions.

“Every dollar spent early can save several dollars in losses and response costs,” he said, arguing that investing before a disaster strikes can protect livelihoods, preserve assets and reduce the cost of humanitarian assistance and recovery.

Gebeyehu stressed the importance of empowering local communities to participate in decisions and interventions designed to protect them from climate extremes.

He said women, young people, pastoral communities and displaced populations must be meaningfully involved in shaping anticipatory action programmes.

“Anticipatory action must not only reach communities. Communities must shape and lead it,” he said.

He called for local actors to be equipped with the capacity, authority, information and resources needed to respond before disasters occur.

According to Gebeyehu, anticipatory action should be embedded in national policies, disaster risk management frameworks, sectoral plans, local government systems and development planning.

He said the approach should also be linked to institutions responsible for early warning, agriculture, water, livestock, health, social protection and humanitarian response.

Region urged to move from commitments to implementation

The second East Africa Dialogue Platform builds on the first meeting held in Mombasa in 2024, which established a shared regional ambition for anticipatory action.

Gebeyehu acknowledged progress made by member states and partners, including the development and strengthening of national anticipatory action roadmaps and improved regional collaboration through the Regional Technical Working Group on Anticipatory Action.

However, he said the region must now focus on translating those gains into sustainable systems and practical interventions.

“From pilots to systems. From isolated interventions to coordinated action. From commitments on paper to resources on the ground,” he said.

He reaffirmed IGAD’s commitment, through the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) and its Disaster Risk Management Programme, to strengthening early warning and supporting member states in scaling up anticipatory action and disaster risk reduction.

The Executive Secretary also called on development partners to complement government efforts by investing in long-term systems rather than financing isolated emergency interventions.

The meeting brought together representatives of IGAD member states, humanitarian and development organisations, the United Nations, civil society, academia, research institutions, the private sector and communities across Eastern Africa.