Weather index-based insurance in agricultural development: a technical guide

This technical guide translates the findings and experience to date on weather index-based insurance (WII) into practical decision-making steps for donors and practitioners. It calls for insurance to form part of an integrated approach to risk management and goes through each phase of the WII project design and management process, including: (i) assessing if WII is feasible; (ii) developing a roadmap for pilot and implementation, which can be integrated into a disaster risk reduction program; and (iii) scaling up and sustaining WII.

The guide includes background information, explanations and resource recommendations to help inform decision-making. It shows how WII operates best as part of an integrated approach to risk management, when constraints such as lack of access to finance, improved seed, inputs and markets can be simultaneously addressed.