AHA CENTRE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ANTICIPATION HUB
Being prepared for disaster requires anticipating all aspects that may arise, and sees anticipatory action gathering a greater focus at the global and regional level. Recognising this, the AHA Centre is coming together with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to engage with the Anticipation Hub. The Column spoke to a number of key leaders within the Anticipation Hub system to get their insights into the AHA Centre’s engagement and the values of the AHA Centre joining the Anticipation Hub.
The Anticipation Hub is an online knowledge and exchange platform that supports practitioners, scientists and policymakers to utilise anticipatory action in the humanitarian sector – with the overall aim to reduce disaster risk and adapt to climate change. Hosted by the German Red Cross in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Hub is also supported by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, with funding support from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.
The Anticipation Hub’s Head, Alexandra Rueth told us that “collaboration between the Anticipation Hub and the AHA Centre will put into action our commitment to implementing more anticipatory action, and subsequently reducing the impacts of climate change”. “Our collective approach to sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences and joint advocacy will strengthen our capacity to reduce disaster risk and protect lives of the most vulnerable both in the ASEAN region and globally”, she explained.
The importance of the partnership was also highlighted by Jan Gelfand, the Head of Delegation, Country Cluster Delegation for Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Representative to ASEAN, when he said “The partnership will allow us to move forward together on commitments made to reduce the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable communities, enabling regional disaster management bodies such as the AHA Centre to provide effective and timely support ahead of crises”. Mr Gelfand also spoke of the role of anticipatory action across the region, by stating that “There is an increased focus of anticipatory action at regional level as well as in the AADMER Work Programme. The Anticipation Hub can offer support via trainings, concrete advocacy messages and facilitating connections with relevant stakeholders, such as research institutes and universities”. “Together we can enable the integration of anticipatory action into national disaster risk management systems” he concluded.
Providing further insight into the working value of the partnership, the Regional Forecast-based Financing Coordinator for IFRC Asia Pacific, Mr. Raymond Zingg explained the role of the parties within the hub, and how they bring value to the overall anticipatory action efforts. “The Anticipation Hub will enable further learning and exchange of practices and methodologies for enabling anticipatory action in new and emerging settings, including conflict and disease outbreaks”, Mr Zingg said, while also stating that “it will facilitate innovation between global and regional partners on topics such as impact-based forecasting for multiple hazards”.
Mr Zingg finished by saying “We want to provide faster, more effective and more dignified humanitarian assistance – the new normal is anticipatory action – and continued collaboration/ coordination and technical knowledge exchange is crucial to make this happen”. These thoughts were echoed by the AHA Centre’s Executive Director Ms Adelina Kamal when she emphasised the need for the ASEAN region to shift from reacting to anticipating disasters, especially to manage the increasing frequency, intensity and impact of disasters.
“The Anticipation Hub has a vital role to play in creating and sharing this evidence to influence behaviour change and facilitate this resulting systemic change in mind-set.”
-Ms. Adelina Kamal
Written by : Moch Syifa, William Shea
