Improving livestock insurance trigger mechanisms and gender-responsive products for pastoralists in Kenya

About this project

Extreme weather and climate change are adversely impacting livelihoods in semi-arid lands. Increasingly frequent droughts are forcing pastoralists to sell surviving livestock, pushing them into poverty. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that more than 4.8 million people are affected, costing USD1.25 billion per year. It is estimated that each severe drought shrinks a country's gross domestic product by 3%. Index-based livestock insurance is an innovative approach that offers financial protection for agro-pastoralist communities against such disaster shocks. This project aims to strengthen climate resilience among agro-pastoral communities in Kenya by creating livestock insurance that is more effective and gender-responsive. High-resolution earth observation data and community engagement will be used to improve the ”trigger mechanism” under which insurance is activated. The project will tailor insurance products to the needs of different groups of women and men, different types of livestock, and longer-term economic viability. The research team will pilot these products through simulations with community volunteers in Tana River to ensure the products are affordable and accessible and to assess the benefits for users and insurance providers. The project team is led by the International Committee for the Development of Peoples. They are working in collaboration with the University of Nairobi, the Collaborative Center for Gender and Development and with tw…

Published by

International Development Research Centre · Other public sector

Countries

Kenya

Sectors

Agricultural policy and administrative management

Focus

Gender equality · Also contributesClimate adaptation · Also contributes

Published by International Development Research Centre to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), last updated 1 Sept 2026 and imported automatically. IATI identifier: XM-DAC-301-2-109998-001.

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