Anticipating Tomorrow in Pakistan
Pakistan ranks among the top 20 countries most at risk of disasters, according to the 2025 INFORM Risk Index. This means that Pakistan faces major threats from natural hazards such as earthquakes, heatwaves, floods, cyclones, and droughts. Poverty exacerbates these risks, as vulnerable communities struggle to recover and adapt. Although the South Asian country demonstrates moderate ability to cope with disaster, traditional response mechanisms are increasingly inadequate and costly in the face of more frequent and severe events.
One Step Ahead of the Disaster
To tackle these escalating risks, a more sustainable approach is essential: forecasting hazards before they strike. Anticipatory Action focuses on community-led disaster preparedness, reducing harm, saving lives, and offering significant cost savings. Evidence confirms that Anticipatory Action is not only the most efficient form of humanitarian response but also helps preserve development gains while decreasing long-term recovery needs and costs. For example, FAO analyses indicate that for every US dollar invested in anticipatory action, communities have gained up to 7.1 US dollars in avoided losses and benefits.
Anticipatory Action minimizes the impacts of crises like floods and droughts by enabling early interventions in anticipation of an imminent hazard. These interventions include resource distribution—such as water, hygiene kits, and multipurpose cash assistance—and protective measures tailored to the anticipated hazard. Anticipatory Action also reduces the physical and emotional toll on affected communities, while supporting long-term resilience.

One such example of anticipatory action in practice is the Localized Multi-Hazard Anticipatory Action Facility Pakistan, launched by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) in partnership with Alliance2015 partners Acted and Concern. This initiative empowers communities with the tools, resources, and funding needed to act proactively. For instance, in 2024, WHH’s anticipatory actions in response to a heatwave reduced heatstroke cases by up to 85% in regions like Jacobabad and Bahawalpur. Affected communities received heatwave prevention kits, access to cooling centers, and heatstroke treatment, with a focus on vulnerable groups such as daily laborers and polio workers.
Saving Lives, Protecting Livelihoods, Reducing Recovery Costs
As disasters become more frequent and severe, proactive, community-driven disaster management becomes increasingly essential. WHH’s Anticipatory Action projects exemplify this approach, reaching thousands in Pakistan’s flood-prone districts like Lower Kohistan, Rajanpur, Naseerabad, Dadu, and Sukkur in 2024. These initiatives triggered early actions to mitigate flood impacts, including hygiene sessions, mental health support, animal vaccinations, provision of emergency cash, relief supplies, life-saving kits, and community infrastructure reinforcement. By implementing these measures ahead of the flood peak, the project minimized impacts and ensured timely access for the most vulnerable communities in high-risk areas.
To address food insecurity during emergencies in these drought- and flood-prone areas, WHH introduced a Kitchen Gardening program. This program equips communities with the tools and training to cultivate fruits, vegetables, and herbs, reducing reliance on external food sources that are often unavailable during emergencies. Targeted at regions that have already experienced such hazards—and are likely to face them in the future—the program also serves as a vital income source when farming becomes unfeasible. The kitchen gardens not only improve food security but also contribute to environmental stability by reducing soil erosion, improving water retention, and stabilizing flood- and landslide-prone areas.
Simple Gardens to Fight Food Insecurity
Shabiran, a resident of Nagar Daryo village in the Dadu district, lives in the heart of Sindh province—one of the regions grappling with recurring hazards such as flash floods and prolonged droughts. Before joining the kitchen gardening program, Shabiran and her family struggled to access fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly during droughts. “Although I had some knowledge of agriculture, we lacked the resources to grow our own food. Buying produce from the market was expensive, leaving us food insecure,” she explains. Living in a modest mud-and-thatch house, her family faced not only food shortages but also limited protection against the region’s harsh weather and environmental challenges.

“With the starter kit and training, I now grow my own vegetables, improving our nutrition and saving money,” Shabiran shares. Her thriving garden has become a vital source of food and a symbol of resilience, equipping her with valuable skills that foster self-reliance and enhance her family’s food security. Designed to withstand environmental challenges, the kitchen gardens use drought-resistant crops adapted to the local climate, water-efficient techniques, and adaptable gardening methods.
Shabiran’s journey exemplifies how community-driven anticipatory actions can reduce vulnerabilities before disaster strikes, empowering individuals and communities while fostering long-term resilience. While community-focused efforts like these are essential, they are most effective when combined with reliable tools for forecasting and early warning.
Know what’s going to happen before it happens
To strengthen these efforts, WHH collaborates with stakeholders such as the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) to improve predictive models for hazards like heatwaves, floods, and droughts. These models enable anticipatory interventions, reducing disaster impacts and strengthening community resilience.
Building on this foundation, Pakistan launched its first National Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Action in November 2023. This platform aligns strategies across government, UN agencies, NGOs, and communities, ensuring that predictive tools are integrated into coordinated disaster preparedness efforts. A second platform, led by NDMA through the National Coordination Forum (NCF), is planned for January 2025, with participation from OCHA, FAO, WFP, and GRC.


Through these proactive measures, WHH has reached over 100,000 vulnerable communities, benefiting more than half a million people. These efforts have significantly contributed to reducing the loss of lives and assets while enhancing the resilience of populations in Pakistan’s hazard-prone regions.