Emergency preparedness has the potential to be truly transformative, a means to reshape the way the aid system approaches crisis. Investment in preparedness seeks to reduce the cost of response over the long term and the ever increasing burden on the humanitarian system - a burden that stretches it beyond its means and, in some cases, its mandate. It offers a marked chande to post-crisis 'business as usual' and reflects the lessons learnt from decades of humanitarian response, as well as the necessity of building national capacity for preparedness as a fundamental part of a longer-term strategy to reduce pressure on humanitarian finances.