Anticipatory Action in Bangladesh: Acting before the floodwaters rise

Bangladesh sits at the frontline of climate risk. Each year, cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, monsoon floods and river erosion disrupt livelihoods, damage infrastructure and deepen existing vulnerabilities. What is changing is not only the frequency and intensity of hazards, but also the speed at which shocks cascade, from waterlogging and crop losses to price rises, school interruptions and heightened protection risks for women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities. 

In 2024, anticipatory action was activated ahead of forecasted riverine flooding in the Jamuna basin, following water-level forecasts indicating that flood thresholds were likely to be exceeded. On 4 July, pre-agreed triggers were reached, enabling early preparedness measures before peak flooding. Through this activation, approximately $8.9 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund and partners, including FAO, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP, BDRCS and the SUFAL consortium (led by CARE), supported anticipatory assistance reaching around 600,000 people in five northern districts with cash support, agricultural inputs, WASH supplies and protection services before floodwater rose. Early warning messages were also disseminated to more than 4 million people across flood-risk areas. The activation came at a particularly critical time. Bangladesh was experiencing nationwide student-led protests and curfew restrictions that disrupted movement and humanitarian access in several areas. As a result, anticipatory assistance delivered before the floods became, in many communities, a critical lifeline, helping families secure food, protect assets and cope during a period when additional support was difficult to mobilise. 

“During the flood, we provided essential medical services and medicines to pregnant mothers at the mobile health camp. They could come for checkups, learn about their health, and, if they faced obstetric complications, receive cash support to help them access the care they needed.” Shamsunnahar, midwife, Jamalpur In 2024

When the Anticipatory Action framework was activated, mobile health services and targeted support helped pregnant women and newborns access care even as floodwaters disrupted routine services.

In 2026, across Bangladesh, I/NGOs, national NGO networks, the Red Crescent Movement and UN agencies, together with CERF and other humanitarian partners, have earmarked more than US$20 million for 26 active anticipatory action frameworks covering cyclones, floods, heatwaves, cold waves and landslides. As the cyclone season approaches in April, coordination efforts are intensifying to ensure these frameworks can be activated quickly and coherently if triggers are reached.