IRC Urges Cash-based Anticipatory Action to Mitigate Climate Disasters in Nigeria

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has highlighted Nigeria as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate disasters, including devastating floods, and emphasized the benefits of sending cash ahead of such disasters.

The IRC’s press release on Tuesday stresses that cash-based anticipatory action can play a crucial role in helping vulnerable communities recover from and build resilience to climate-related challenges, particularly in fragile settings affected by both conflict and climate change.

The call comes in the wake of continued extreme weather events globally, the looming COP-28 summit, and El Niño’s impact. The IRC urges international donors not to leave vulnerable countries behind in climate financing, especially considering that many disasters are predictable.

The IRC’s research includes one of the first rigorous evaluations on the impact of anticipatory cash ahead of predictable climate disasters in Northeast Nigeria.

The study highlights the critical role of anticipatory action in meeting the short- and longer-term needs of households affected by climate and crisis, as climate shocks worsen, and humanitarian funding needs remain unmet.

The study, conducted in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Center for Disaster Protection, evaluated the effects of early warning systems and anticipatory cash interventions in flood-prone areas in Adamawa, Nigeria.

Results indicated that households that received cash transfers before the flood experienced less hunger and used fewer negative coping strategies compared to those who received cash after the flood.

Anticipatory cash also encouraged pre-emptive actions, such as early crop harvesting and stockpiling food, and increased investments in agricultural assets and livestock, promoting long-term resilience.

Based on its research, the IRC advocates for a shift in humanitarian assistance spending, with more resources allocated to predictable climate shocks. While approximately 20% of natural disasters are highly predictable, less than 1% of overseas development assistance (ODA) is pre-arranged for such efforts.

The IRC calls for international donors to follow the German government’s lead by allocating 5% of humanitarian funding to preventative response ahead of climate shocks, while also improving financing to be multi-year, flexible, and adaptive.

The IRC emphasizes the need for collaboration between the climate and humanitarian communities to develop better tools for risk mapping and increase climate financing in climate and conflict-affected countries. A “people-first” strategy should be adopted, with support delivered by entities such as civil society, NGOs, and local actors in fragile settings where national governments may lack capacity or be involved in conflicts.

Sarah Case, VP of Humanitarian System Change, criticized the current humanitarian system for prioritizing donor convenience over recipients’ needs.

She stressed that climate change is an immediate reality, and waiting for disasters to strike is unacceptable when predictive technology and research support anticipatory action.

IRC Nigeria’s Country Director, Babatunde Anthony Ojei, emphasized the importance of the pilot project in Northeast Nigeria, which protected vulnerable communities from the impacts of predictable climate shocks, aiding in recovery and future resilience-building.