Source(s): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Disaster loss and damage data is often associated with post-disaster assessments and reporting. When systematically collected and analysed, loss and damage information can serve a broader purpose, supporting anticipatory action, and informing recovery planning.
These four case studies illustrate how disaster impact data is being used across different contexts and stages of the disaster management cycle. From drought preparedness in Madagascar and Southern Africa to institutional strengthening in Kyrgyzstan and post-conflict recovery planning in the agricultural sector in Lebanon, these examples show that loss and damage data is being used as a resource for decision-making.
Madagascar: Using historical impacts to anticipate future crises
A promising application of loss and damage data is in anticipatory action. Rather than waiting for disasters to unfold, governments and organisations are increasingly using historical data to identify when early action should be triggered, to reduce humanitarian impacts.
In southern Madagascar, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) joined forces with government and humanitarian partners to calibrate drought trigger systems by linking meteorological indicators with observed impacts on agriculture, food security and livelihoods. Traditional early warning systems often rely on climate indicators alone, which may not fully capture the consequences of a drought on vulnerable communities.
By incorporating historical loss and damage data, decision-makers were able to identify thresholds that correspond more closely to real-world impacts, so that anticipatory actions can be activated before conditions deteriorate into a humanitarian crisis. The experience shows the value of grounding early warning systems in evidence of past losses and impacts, rather than relying only on hazard forecasts.
