As human mobility increases due to compounding crises driven by conflicts, disasters, climate change, and environmental degradation, the humanitarian consequences are profound. Vulnerable communities bear the brunt, facing loss of livelihoods, repeated and protracted displacement, and heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and other protection risks.

Anticipatory action offers a critical approach to reducing the impacts of such crises before they fully unfold. By utilizing forecasts and risk analysis to predict when and where events will occur, anticipatory measures can be implemented proactively. Initially focused on extreme weather events, anticipatory action has expanded globally, reaching over 70 countries and being applied to a growing range of hazards, beyond just severe weather events. Despite significant advancements in anticipatory action globally, human mobility remains an under-addressed frontier. As of 2024, only one active anticipatory action plan, an Early Action Protocol focused on anticipation of population movements in Honduras, targets displaced populations among the global anticipatory action landscape.

This panel discussion will explore the emerging field of anticipatory action to prevent and respond to climate and conflict-driven human mobility globally. It builds on the outcomes of two global workshops hosted by the Anticipation Hub in 2023 and 2024,Anticipating Displacement Impacts: Pathways, Decision-Making, and Next Steps for Anticipatory Action, and will bring together key stakeholders on advancing anticipatory action for population movements. This session explores the evolving field of anticipatory action for human mobility, leveraging insights from countries’ experience, recent global workshops and pilot initiatives. Participants will examine innovative tools, case studies, and policy strategies aimed at addressing displacement risks proactively.

The session focuses on bridging the gap between early warning systems and actionable anticipatory measures, ensuring a holistic approach to displacement and broader risks within the humanitarian system. With the growing interest from humanitarian and research organizations, particularly following pilot initiatives in the Greater Horn of Africa and the Americas, the session will further examine how anticipatory action can be scaled and integrated into strategies and policies to address displacement, to reduce people’s suffering and enhance community resilience.

Through an interactive format, participants will identify opportunities based on humanitarian needs and available risk information, barriers, brainstorming possible solutions, and charting pathways to scale anticipatory action along displacement routes while suggesting means of applying anticipatory action as part of comprehensive support for displaced populations.