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Children are fishing standing on an abandoned barge in the port of Old Fangak on the Phow River (or Bahr El Zaraf, giraffe in Arabic), a branch of the White Nile in Jonglei State, 100 km south of Malakal city. No roads access the village. Only the boat or small planes. Bor, the big city in the south, is 2 days away by barge. Des enfants pêchent depuis une barge abandonnée, dans le port de Old Fangak, sur la rivière Phow (ou Bahr El Zaraf, girafe en arabe), une branche du Nil Blanc, dans l'État de Jonglei, à 100 km au sud de la ville de Malakal. Pas de routes pour accéder au bourg. Seulement le bateau ou de petits avions. Bor, la grande ville au sud est à 2 jours de barges.

Strategic Adaptation

Children are fishing standing on an abandoned barge in the port of Old Fangak on the Phow River (or Bahr El Zaraf, giraffe in Arabic), a branch of the White Nile in Jonglei State, 100 km south of Malakal city. No roads access the village. Only the boat or small planes. Bor, the big city in the south, is 2 days away by barge. Des enfants pêchent depuis une barge abandonnée, dans le port de Old Fangak, sur la rivière Phow (ou Bahr El Zaraf, girafe en arabe), une branche du Nil Blanc, dans l'État de Jonglei, à 100 km au sud de la ville de Malakal. Pas de routes pour accéder au bourg. Seulement le bateau ou de petits avions. Bor, la grande ville au sud est à 2 jours de barges.
© Frederic NOY/
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Strategic Adaptation

Strategic adaptation is essential to keep our operations effective as climate change increases risks like extreme weather, shifting disease patterns, and growing pressure on water and food supplies.
 

It allows MSF sections to adjust programs, infrastructure, and staffing in advance — using climate projections to plan, not just to react. By integrating climate data into our decision-making, we can strengthen preparedness, reduce vulnerabilities, and make better use of resources.
 

Strategic adaptation helps protect both the people we assist and our teams, supporting more resilient operations in an increasingly unpredictable environment. 

MSF GeoHazards

MSF GeoHazards is a practical geospatial tool that identifies where key climate and environmental hazards are most likely to occur across MSF operations. It supports strategic adaptation by helping teams prioritize locations for further risk assessment and early action planning.

Developed in partnership with the GIS Centre and HACE, it offers geospatial insights into where and how severe key environmental hazards (floods, droughts, extreme heat, tropical cyclones, and water scarcity) are likely to impact our operations. While it focuses specifically on the hazard component of risk (rather than exposure or vulnerability), it provides essential data for prioritizing site-level assessments, informing preparedness strategies, and guiding investments in infrastructure and service continuity.

For more information, contact Léo Tremblay.

All over the province of Camarines Sur in the Philippines, Tropical Storm Trami brought intense rains, triggering flash floods. The municipality of Bula was one of the hardest hit. During their assessment, the MSF team saw many communities still flooded. Rubber boats were the only way the MSF team reach these communities to assess the needs. Municipality of Bula, Camarines Sur, the Philippines.
All over the province of Camarines Sur in the Philippines, Tropical Storm Trami brought intense rains, triggering flash floods. The municipality of Bula was one of the hardest hit. During their assessment, the MSF team saw many communities still flooded. Rubber boats were the only way the MSF team reach these communities to assess the needs. Municipality of Bula, Camarines Sur, the Philippines.
© Asnairah Solaiman/MSF

Climate Scenario Workshops

MSF has a long history of responding effectively to complex and rapidly evolving humanitarian crises. However, we are now confronting an unprecedented reality. The humanitarian landscape is increasingly shaped by intersecting challenges, including climate change and environmental degradation, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable communities. These challenges have the potential to exceed the capacity of traditional humanitarian responses, including our own. To remain effective, we must adapt swiftly as a Movement, strengthening our understanding of emerging risks and reshaping our approach to humanitarian action.

Inspired by this new paradigm, MSF's International Medical Secretary,Maria Guevara, developed a type of event that utilizes strategic foresight to explore future scenarios where the climate crisis plays a central role. The first event took place in Brussels in February 2024 drawing participants from all operational directorates, including medical and operational directors, as well as heads of emergency and country desks. HACE provided the technical support on climate and environmental topics.

To build on this momentum, another event was held in Nairobi in November 2024, this time with a focus on Eastern Africa. It brought together 60MSF participants alongside representatives from UN agencies and other organizations working in the region on these converging crisis.

View on the site where Kibera South Hospital will be built.
View on the site where Kibera South Hospital will be built.