Floods, Cyclones, and many more are the climate-related disasters that affect human settlements. Meteorological departments associated with weather forecasting usually provide prior information on such disasters. The administrations in turn warn the inhabitants and take necessary actions such as vacating the places where disaster is expected to impact. The administration and aid agencies carry out relief measures in various possible ways.

A year back, I went through a few articles on Anticipatory Cash Relief. This is about paying some cash before the anticipated disaster.  There are examples of anticipatory cash relief. Cash was paid before a cyclone in Mozambique in March 2023, a hurricane in Central America in October 2022, and landslides in Uganda in June 2023. A survey before the Typhoon in the Philippines found that anticipatory cash is preferred to protect and address immediate needs. In Bangladesh, cash was transferred before the 2020 floods. A study found that households with cash transfer were less likely to spend a day without eating compared to households without the cash transfer.

 The climate-related disasters are there almost every year and almost in all parts of the world. Anticipatory Cash Relief is a new way of equipping vulnerable households to cope with the disaster to an extent.

Views are Personal.