Nepal Anticipatory Action framework for floods: 2024

1.Executive Summary

The purpose of this document is to present the framework for anticipatory action (AA) in Nepal, including the forecasting trigger (the model), the pre-agreed action plans (the delivery) and the pre-arranged financing (the money). The initial framework was endorsed in 2021 for a two-year period and subsequently extended for the 2023 and 2024 monsoon seasons. This document includes modifications made in previous years and lessons learned from the 2022 activation.

The objective of this framework is to provide collective anticipatory humanitarian action to people at risk of predicted severe monsoon flooding in Nepal. The initiative will aim to provide life-saving assistance to up to 238,831 people across 15 floodprone municipalities (“palikas”):

• In eastern Nepal: Koshi Province, Sunsari district – 4 palikas; Madhesh Province, Saptari district - 5 palikas
• In western Nepal: Lumbini Province, , Bardiya district – 4 palikas; Sudurpaschim Province, Kailali district - 2 palikas.

The model relies on the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) as well as the Government of Nepal’s flood warning systems. To provide agencies with the maximum window of opportunity to deliver anticipatory action on a no-regrets basis, and building on the lessons learned of the 2020 anticipatory action pilot for monsoon flooding in Bangladesh, this framework relies on a two-step trigger system:

• Stage I: A readiness trigger based on the GloFAS forecast, that will provide a maximum of 7 days’ lead time.
• Stage II: An action trigger based on government system’s flood warning system and the GloFAS forecast, that will provide anywhere from 3 hours to 3 days’ lead.

Given that this framework targets two major river basins in Nepal, which are not linked, there are separate trigger systems for each river basin: one for the Karnali (in western Nepal) and one for the Koshi Basin (in eastern Nepal).

The delivery of anticipatory action is time-sensitive. Four UN agencies – FAO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and WFP – in partnership with the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), national and local NGOs and in close collaboration with the federal, provincial and local government and district authorities, will:

• Distribute multi-purpose digital cash payments: Over US$3 million will be transferred to vulnerable flood-prone households to meet their essential needs. WFP and UNICEF will provide 15,000 Nepalese Rupees per household. UNFPA will provide small digital cash top-ups to women and girls to facilitate access to obstetrics care and genderbased violence services.
• Provide in-kind assistance: To complement the digital cash assistance, UN agencies will provide households with essential items to mitigate the potential impacts of the flood. UNICEF will distribute hygiene kits, water purification tablets, jerry cans, buckets and mugs and will install emergency toilets in evacuation centers. UNFPA will distribute dignity kits and reproductive health kits. FAO will provide hermetic bags for waterproof storage of grains and seeds
• Deliver services: The framework provides an opportunity to deploy trained personnel to provide important genderinclusive services to potential flood-affected households at evacuation sites and other assembly points. UNFPA and its partners will deploy community psychosocial workers and female community health volunteers to promote sexual and reproductive health as well as gender-based violence services. UNICEF will deploy trained community psychosocial workers. Agencies and their partners will also provide early warning messages to vulnerable households.

The money for the framework comes from different sources, mainly from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) of up to $6.5 million. CERF financing will be released as automatically as possible immediately once the defined triggers are reached in each river basin. The pre-arranged financing agreement with CERF is in place for one severe flooding event per river basin until the end of 2024.