Getting ahead of disasters: Unpacking the potential of crisis modifiers

The Getting Ahead of Disasters Charter, endorsed by over 40 countries and organizations at COP 28, encourages actors to shift to a proactive approach, ‘acting ahead of disasters’ and integrating risk information into decision-making, developing risk-informed and shock-responsive activities and programmes across sectors. Many organisations are keen to explore how to put this principle into action and learn more about different approaches to risk-informed planning and financing. 

This note defines and sets out the purpose of crisis modifiers (CMs)—an approach used for decades, but are not widely discussed. There is no international guidance or best practice information available on CMs, just occasional evaluations of individual CMs or organisation-specific documentation. This note further compares different types of CMs, showcases some current and recent examples, explain benefits and challenges, and explores the role they could play in future.