Start Network – Start Ready
Strengthening communities braced for floods, cyclones, droughts and heatwaves
The Trafigura Foundation is supporting a unique financing mechanism that embraces advance planning to prevent predictable climate-fuelled emergencies from becoming humanitarian catastrophes.
The challenge
In many parts of the world, extreme weather events are increasing in frequence and severity, devastating communities who lack the resources to protect their lives and livelihoods. Billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance are spent every year to help people back onto their feet. But little of this funding is organised in advance, despite this being a more efficient and effective way of helping communities cope with crises.
The solution
Start Ready is a pooled humanitarian fund managed by Start Network, a global network of non-governmental organizations. (It also runs Start Fund, a global mechanism for rapid disaster response that the Trafigura Foundation also supports.)
Start Ready pre-positions funding for recurring and predictable crises such as floods, droughts, heatwaves and cyclones. Funding is released when danger thresholds in a pre-defined contingency plan are reached. This approach allows network members to plan for, anticipate, and respond earlier to risks. It also enables Start Network to pool funds and resources, and stretch Start Ready’s coverage to include more risks across more countries.
With support from the Foundation, Start Ready will be able to provide stronger protection in 11 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Partnership impact
With funding from the Trafigura Foundation
and other donors, Start Ready aims to:
- Protect more than 1 million people in 11 countries against predictable climate disasters; and
- Reach more than 1 million people with preventive support ahead of an impending crises.
Visit the Start Network’s website.
Other partnerships in the same area of work
Accelerating the growth and impact of community-led conservation in Africa
Responding rapidly and effectively to humanitarian crises
