Strengthening Financial Resilience to Drought: A Feasibility Study For An Index-Based Drought Risk Financing Solution for Pastoralists in Mali

In Mali, livestock is an extremely important economic sector that contributes about 19 and 30% to the national and agricultural GDP, respectively. The feasibility study conducted jointly by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the World Bank aims to inform development and implementation policies to increase the resilience of pastoralists in the Sahel against severe drought shocks. It provides the background knowledge required to make informed decisions on whether investing resources in the design and implementation of an IBDRFI program can achieve desired public policy objectives. The feasibility assessment considers socio-economic (potential demand and value), technical (i.e. product design) and operational (supply chain) factors that are important for the design and implementation of IBDRFI solutions in Mali.