FAO Workshop Advances Anticipatory Action for Agriculture in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda, December 7, 2023 – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) successfully concluded its second workshop on Early Warning Systems and Anticipatory Action for Agriculture, held on December 6th and 7th, 2023, in Antigua and Barbuda. This workshop is part of a series of three within the region, with the first in Guyana in November and the third scheduled for the first quarter of 2024 in Barbados. Dr. Roberto Sandoval, the Disaster Risk Management Specialist and Emergency Focal Point for FAO Sub regional Office for the Caribbean, facilitated the workshop.
Overview: Anticipatory Action in Disaster Risk Management
Anticipatory Action is gaining recognition as a pivotal approach in disaster risk management. This method, when integrated with investments in disaster risk reduction and resilience building, addresses vulnerability and safeguards development gains. By protecting livelihoods from immediate hazards, enhancing assistance effectiveness, reducing emergency response costs, and improving community resilience, anticipatory action proves indispensable. The foundation of any anticipatory action system lies in early warning systems, which enable the timely monitoring and communication of impending hazards.
Key Components Covered in the Workshop:
Crisis Timelines and Seasonality Mapping: Understanding crisis timelines and seasonal patterns is crucial for effective anticipatory action.
Early Warning Systems: The cornerstone of anticipatory action, these systems monitor and communicate early signs of growing hazards, triggering actions when pre-defined thresholds are exceeded.
Anticipatory Actions: Identifying and implementing actions that enhance preparedness and response to priority hazards and risks.
The workshop adopted a highly participatory and flexible structure, allowing participants to engage in the review of early warning systems for priority hazards/risks and identify anticipatory actions. Outputs from the workshop are expected to contribute significantly to the agriculture sector aspects of the Early Warnings for All initiative.
In his opening remarks Mr. Gregory Bailey, Director of Agriculture thanked the FAO for hosting this timely and well needed training and tool. “As we all would appreciate, the Agriculture Sector is among the most vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change and therefore approaches to adaptation, resilience building, mitigation and general DRM remains high on its agenda. One such approach is Anticipatory Action and the use of Early warning systems in multifaceted ways e.g. in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in a manner that adds value to existing initiatives which are geared towards protecting the livelihoods of our key stakeholders, complement investments in disaster risk reduction, and securing development gains which have already been realize” said Bailey.
During the workshop, participants were divided into three working groups focusing on Roots, Tubers, and Livestock; Herbs, Spices, and Fisheries; and Fruits and Vegetables. Representatives from various divisions within the Ministry of Agriculture, National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), Meteorological Office (MET Office), Barbuda Council, Barbuda Fisheries, Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), GARD Centre, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and Antigua Fire Department actively participated in the deliberations. The FAO remains committed to advancing anticipatory action for agriculture, and this workshop marks a significant step towards building resilience in the region.