In a flood, how do you stop disaster becoming a crisis?
You prepare!
1 April 2026In a changing climate, being prepared is no longer optional; it is essential, says Dr Unni Krishnan, Plan International's Global Humanitarian Director.
Florinda, 16, wants to go back to school. For now, she waits in a flood evacuation centre in Chiaquelane, Mozambique, while the waters slowly recede. At least here she is safe, with food and space to play sport.
“I like being here because I have fun and time passes more quickly,” she says. “It helps me not to think so much about the wait.”
Across the world, as flood and storm seasons return with ever-increasing fury, millions of families face the same uncertainty every year.
But disasters do not have to become humanitarian crises. The science behind anticipatory action shows that acting early can dramatically reduce destruction, protect communities, and save lives.
Being prepared and ready and acting quickly can stop a disaster from becoming a crisis.
Plan International’s ‘Floods and Storms Initiative’ is built around this simple idea: being prepared and ready and acting quickly can stop a disaster from becoming a crisis.
“Crises do not begin when disaster strikes – they begin long before, when we fail to prepare. When local communities and volunteers are equipped early with the knowledge, resources, and systems to act, they respond faster, smarter, and in ways that truly fit their realities” said Plan International Global Humanitarian Director, Unni Krishnan.
Acting before disasters strike
Plan International launched the Floods and Storms Initiative in July 2025, a targeted investment designed to mitigate seasonal climate hazards and protect vulnerable communities, particularly children and adolescent girls.
The centre in Chiaquelane is part of Plan International’s flood response in the region, supported by the initiative. Plan is also applying this approach across Asia-Pacific and flood-or-storm-prone areas in priority countries worldwide, working with partners and communities to help communities prepare for floods and storms before they arrive.
Last year in 2025, intensifying cyclones, record-breaking rainfall and seasonal monsoons in the region triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides, forcing families from their homes, interrupting daily life and cutting off access to schools, clean water and essential services. According to UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Asia-Pacific countries including, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Malaysia were among the hardest hit – and are likely to be again this year. Storm surges and prolonged inundations affect millions, placing children and adolescent girls at heightened risk of harm.
By strengthening preparedness, pre-positioning supplies and working through local partners, humanitarian organisations can respond well before hazards escalate into full-scale emergencies.“Anticipatory action is not a luxury, it is both possible and essential in the face of climate-induced disasters,” said Krishnan.
Acting early to protect lives and dignity
Last year in Vietnam, Plan International supported communities to ensure vital relief supplies were already in place and local disaster committees were ready to act when typhoon warnings were issued, helping reduce disruption to education and child protection services.
In the Philippines, where storms and flooding batter coastal and island communities every year, Plan is sustaining emergency responses in Masbate, Cebu and Davao Oriental. Within 72 hours of an earthquake in Davao Oriental, sleeping kits were delivered to affected families – a speed made possible by strengthened preparedness and ready-to-deploy resources.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, Plan International Indonesia deployed emergency teams across Aceh and West Sumatra, delivering more than 23 tonnes of life-saving assistance. This included shelter kits, hygiene and menstrual health kits, blankets, mats and other essential items, helping families meet immediate needs safely and with dignity.
Across all three countries, Plan teams coordinate at national, provincial and district levels and are actively engaged in Education, Protection, WASH and Logistics clusters to ensure responses are aligned, inclusive and effective.
These faster responses are part of a broader shift in how humanitarian action is delivered. The Floods and Storms Initiative has already enabled anticipatory action in 18 countries across four regions: Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Eastern and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, and the Americas. Its focus is clear: disaster risk reduction, stronger early warning systems, preparedness for girls, and faster activation of life-saving support.
Early results that matter
In its first phase, the Floods and Storms Initiative has supported practical, locally-led actions that save time and lives. Country teams have trained disaster management committees, strengthened contingency planning, pre-positioned essential supplies and activated early action protocols so that communities can respond immediately when risks are forecasted, rather than after disasters strike.
Other notable examples include Malawi, where detailed risk mapping and contingency planning strengthened readiness; South Sudan, where hygiene promotion and non-food item distribution reduced health risks; and Ecuador, where a multi-country preparedness initiative has been led by the country team.
These efforts are strengthening local resilience and positioning Plan International as a proactive leader in early action, working in close collaboration with local communities, governments, UN agencies and civil society partners.
“The difference between devastation and resilience lies in what we do before a crisis, how we act in its earliest moments, and how we prepare in the space between one emergency and the next,” said Krishnan.
When the floods come
Flood season across much of Asia begins in May. As climate shocks become more frequent and severe, the need to act before disaster strikes has never been clearer. Investing in early warning systems, preparedness and locally led response can reduce the impact of floods and storms before they spiral into humanitarian crises.
In a changing climate, being prepared is no longer optional; it is essential.
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