Start Ready: Providing anticipatory support to communities before disasters strike

Climate change is exacerbating humanitarian crises and is projected to increase the number of people requiring assistance to over 200 million annually by 2050. Yet humanitarian funding remains largely reactive, with only a small share allocated to reducing and managing risks rather than responding after disasters occur.

While many hazards are predictable, opportunities to act in advance are often missed, leading to greater losses of lives and livelihoods. Anticipatory action is helping shift this model by enabling earlier, forecast-based responses. However, despite growing momentum, it is not yet implemented at the required scale. Coverage remains limited, many disaster-prone countries are not included, and further improvements in financing, preparedness, hazard coverage and system integration are needed to fully realise its potential.

Start Ready is an innovative financing mechanism that applies insurance principles to humanitarian action, shifting the focus from reactive response to proactive risk management. It pre-positions funding through risk pools for predictable hazards such as cyclones, floods and droughts, enabling rapid release of funds when predefined thresholds are reached.

The model combines scientific risk analysis with local knowledge. National NGOs, communities and technical partners work together to develop Disaster Risk Finance systems that define triggers and contingency plans in advance.

The project aims to significantly improve protection for vulnerable communities exposed to climate-related hazards. Building on earlier phases, this project will improve cyclone modelling in the Philippines, expand coverage to floods, and establish a flood-focused system in Colombia. It will also scale the mechanism across multiple countries, strengthen risk pooling, explore solutions for residual risk, and integrate advanced risk tools to improve hazard mapping and decision-making. Evidence from previous phases shows strong results: in Bangladesh, every USD 1 invested enabled up to USD 14.80 in protected livelihoods and USD 7.50 in avoided asset losses, while operations in the Philippines demonstrated high effectiveness in preparedness and coordination.

Swiss Re Foundation announces funding to support early humanitarian action in the Philippines and across the world | Start Network

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