Episode Details

Across Asia, disasters are striking more often and with greater force, yet responses still tend to arrive only after lives and livelihoods have been shattered. A growing movement argues that waiting is the costliest mistake of all. In this episode, we explore the rise of “anticipatory action”—policies that use early warnings to deliver cash and support before floods, droughts, or storms hit—and why evidence from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Mongolia suggests it can sharply reduce hunger, debt, and long-term damage. As climate change raises the stakes and governments hesitate to act on forecasts rather than facts, the story asks whether helping people before disaster strikes could become Asia’s most effective tool for saving lives and limiting loss.

https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/11/20/where-being-antediluvian-pays