Acting Before Disaster Strikes: The impacts of anticipatory cash transfers on climate resilience in Northeast Nigeria

IRC’s research – the first experimental evidence from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on how anticipatory cash compares to post-shock cash transfers in a conflict-affected environment – highlights that anticipatory action is critical to meeting the short- and longer-term needs of households affected by both climate and crisis, especially as climate shocks continue to worsen and humanitarian funding needs remain unmet for both emergencies and preventative responses.

With funding from Google.org and in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Center for Disaster Protection, the IRC piloted and evaluated the effects of early warning systems and anticipatory cash interventions to protect the livelihoods of households in flood-prone areas in the northeastern state of Adamawa, Nigeria.