Using pre-crisis market analysis to strengthen emergency preparedness and resilience of WASH systems

Market traders and service providers are often the principal means by which affected communities obtain the essential commodities they need during a crisis. In urban areas, these actors are part of market systems consisting of producers, wholesalers, and enterprises in the supply chain responsible for retail and service provision. This paper describes Oxfam’s experiences using pre-crisis market analysis in Bangladesh, Indonesia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe in order to support market-based programming to strengthen the resilience of market systems and prepare for reoccurring emergencies. The paper also describes the organisational considerations in relation to time, resources and staff capacities to undertake market analysis and programming.