Acting before climate disasters strike
Askehave Climate Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with Start Network, supporting anticipatory humanitarian action for communities facing escalating climate risks in Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Nepal.
For communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, the difference between acting before a disaster and responding after it can be life changing. Floods, cyclones, droughts and extreme heat are becoming more frequent and severe, while the people most exposed often have the fewest resources to protect their families, homes and livelihoods. This partnership reflects our belief that climate-related disaster relief must increasingly move from reaction to prevention.
Through this grant, Askehave Climate Foundation will support Start Ready, Start Network’s humanitarian pooled fund for forecast-based early action. Start Ready enables local and national organisations to plan ahead, monitor risks and access pre-arranged financing when forecasts show that a hazard is likely to reach dangerous levels. This means support can arrive before the worst impacts are felt: cash can be distributed, evacuations can be supported, homes can be protected and essential services can be strengthened in time.
The new partnership will help protect communities exposed to riverine flooding, drought and extreme heat in Pakistan; floods and cyclones in Bangladesh and the Philippines; and emerging flood risks in Nepal. Across these countries, Start Ready is designed around locally led plans and practical early action, ensuring that decisions are shaped by the organisations and communities closest to the risks.
We are particularly encouraged by the evidence behind anticipatory action. Start Ready has shown that even modest, well-timed financing can help shift humanitarian response earlier, strengthen preparedness and reduce avoidable losses. Its pooled financing model also allows donor contributions to reach further, because risks are shared across countries and hazards rather than held in isolated funding streams.
For Askehave Climate Foundation, this is an important step in our work to support vulnerable communities in crisis situations as they adapt to a changing climate. We see Start Network as a partner that combines innovation, local leadership and rigorous risk financing in a way that aligns closely with our commitment to evidence-based philanthropy.
As climate hazards become more predictable, the humanitarian system has a responsibility to use that knowledge differently. Acting early can save lives, protect livelihoods and give families more time and dignity when facing extreme weather. We are proud to contribute to a model that places preparedness, local knowledge and timely financing at the centre of climate-related disaster relief.
We look forward to learning from this partnership and to following the impact of Start Ready as it helps communities act before predictable climate shocks become humanitarian crises.
