In this session, we aim to explore social science research contributions fitting the fourth Pillar of the “Early Warning for All” programme ‘Preparedness to Respond’. The Preparedness to Respond approach is specifically concerned with those factors that ensure the successful translation of early warnings into life-saving actions. The Early Warnings for All programme envisions a spectrum of factors that result in reduced losses and harm, ranging from people’s individual and gendered risk preparedness and response capacity to a warning, to the vital involvement of national and local stakeholders.

We invite contributions from social science, humanities, and interdisciplinary research that are concerned with the Preparedness to Respond approach. More specifically, we hope to have a transdisciplinary session in which methods, approaches and best practices are co-designed and shared which address one or more of the topics described below:

• Policy factors that feed into comprehensive risk management policy, laws and strategies;

• Technical factors that enhance local preparedness and response capacities;

• Financial factors that allow for anticipatory action;

• How are local capacities and knowledge integrated in preparedness to respond

• Methods and examples on how to assess if people are prepared and ready to react to warnings

• Practical examples of how response plans are tested and kept up to date

• Monitoring and evaluation of current status of policy, technical and financial factors in relation to implementation of Early Warning mechanisms;

• Partnerships and collaboration at local, regional, national and global levels that facilitate response preparedness.