We Insured pastoralists against drought, how can we boost their resilience?

With climate change escalating in severity, the threat to pastoralists’ way of life has never been more dire. To address this crisis, substantial investments have been made in drought risk financing, providing financial protection to pastoralists during severe droughts. Numerous organisations have joined forces to safeguard livestock and livelihoods in vulnerable regions.

To achieve more effective and sustainable outcomes, bundling drought risk financing with complementary services is essential. Integrating market development for inputs, climate information services, and financial protection schemes can significantly promote resilience and reduce vulnerability to drought.

Climate information services add an extra layer of resilience for pastoralists. By offering accurate, timely, and location-specific climate and weather forecasts, pastoralists can make informed decisions about managing their herds, planning migrations, and conserving fodder.

This knowledge empowers them to anticipate and respond effectively to climate variations, reducing potential losses during extreme weather events.

In the Horn of Africa, several partners in finance and development have recognised the importance of a multi-dimensional approach to building resilience among pastoralist communities. Ongoing efforts are already underway to bundle drought risk financing with supplementary services and scale them to reach more pastoralists.

One such initiative is the World Bank-funded De-risking, Inclusion, and Value Enhancement of pastoral economies in the Horn of Africa (DRIVE) in Kenya. This project provides index-based livestock insurance to pastoralists while promoting interventions for market development and linking pastoralists to profitable value chains.

Additionally, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) collaborates with academic partners, the private sector, and humanitarian organisations to implement projects across Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, focusing on increasing the uptake of livestock insurance and integrating it into resilience-building programmes.

Research has shown that a multi-dimensional approach, combining financial and non-financial interventions, is crucial for building resilience among pastoralist communities.

Kelvin Shikuku is Scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)