Glossary

Preparedness

The knowledge and capacities developed by governments, response and recovery organisations, communities, and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to and recover from the impacts of likely, imminent or current crises. Preparedness can be distinguished between financial preparedness (e.g. the creation of budgetary or financial mechanisms to respond to a particular type of crisis) and delivery system preparedness (e.g. investments in enabling social protection systems to be able to scale up rapidly following a crisis) (the Centre, based on UNISDR 2016).

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This report captures and builds on learning from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) anticipatory action pilot in Nepal.

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This guidance note is intended as a common framework to support practical approaches to meaningful accountability across the sector.

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This guidance document offers practical steps on how to capture lessons from DRF initiatives.

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This brief reviews the evidence on the welfare impacts of proactive approaches to setting up finance for disaster response.

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other key terms

Development bank

A public financial institution providing loans, grants and expertise to support development goals.

Hazard

A natural or human process that can cause injury, damage or disruption.

Early warning system

Systems that monitor hazards and share information early, so people can act in time.

Attachment point

The loss level above which a reinsurer begins paying under a reinsurance agreement.

Sovereign insurance

Sovereign insurance is insurance coverage purchased by a national government to protect its budget against the financial impacts of disasters.

Shock-responsive social protection

Social protection systems adapted to scale quickly when large shocks affect many people.