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Pathways to Resilience in Semi-arid Economies (PRISE)

Hero image description: Agro-pastoralist communities in Bahi, Tanzania Image credit:Rajeshree Sisodia/PRISE Image license:Creative Commons

​Pathways to Resilience in Semi-Arid Economies (PRISE) was a five-year, multi-country research project that generated new knowledge about how economic development in semi-arid regions can be made more equitable and resilient to climate change.

PRISE aimed to strengthen the commitment of decision-makers in local and national governments, businesses and trade bodies to rapid, inclusive and resilient development in these regions. It did so by deepening their understanding of the threats and opportunities that semi-arid economies face in relation to climate change.

Ground breaking in its focus, PRISE research adopted a policy and development-first approach to engaging decision-makers in governments, businesses and trade bodies. Rather than starting with complex climate change projections, this research began by identifying the decisions people need to make now about investment choices and development options for semi-arid regions. Decision-makers and the research team decided jointly on the research questions and study areas to ensure that the research responded to demand. This approach meant that PRISE had the flexibility to support policy makers and investors with quick-response research whenever the need arose, as well as the capacity to lead longer-term collaborative studies.

PRISE research targeted semi-arid areas across six countries in Africa and Asia: Burkina Faso, Senegal, Tanzania, Kenya, Pakistan and Tajikistan. 

The research was organised around five areas: (1) climate risk management, (2) governance, institutions and finance, (3) markets and supply chains, (4) natural capital and (5) human capital. Each area was led by a consortium partner and engaged researchers from across the five consortium members to ensure a blend of cross-disciplinary expertise and methodological insights.

The consortium’s four member organisations were:

The PRISE project's Country Research partners included:

The project was funded by the International Development Research Centre in Canada and the UK Department for International Development.

Staff

Guy Jobbins, Peter Newborne, Elizabeth Carabine, Catherine Simonet, Emily Wilkinson, Alberto Lemma, Helen Mountfort, Rajeshree Sisodia, Tiina Pasanen, Nathalie Nathe, Robert Mitchell

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