Mauritania - Africa Disaster Risk Financing Programme (ADRiFi)

The proposed operation involves financial assistance from the Bank within the framework of its African Disaster Risk Financing Program (ADRiFi) to enable Mauritania to subscribe to an insurance policy indexed to the risk of drought. It is expected to cushion Mauritania’s economy against the impacts of drought-related shocks, at a moment when the country is also reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The African Development Bank is pleased that ADRiFi Mauritania will provide efficient and timely first-response delivery to targeted beneficiaries in communities that will be affected by disasters, and will strengthen resilience to drought-linked disasters in Mauritania. The project comprises three components, namely: (i) developing climate risk management solutions; (ii) supporting access to disaster risk transfer mechanisms; and (iii) programme management and coordination. Advancing climate risk management solutions will be done in two ways: building in-country capacity to understand drought risk and implement contingency plans; and collecting more precise agro-climatic data for use in calibration of index-based insurance. Technical staff and policymakers will receive capacity building training that will help the country model its drought-related disaster risk more effectively. Under component two, ADRIFI will provide funding for payment of 50% of the insurance policy premium for years 2020 and 2021 as well as support resource mobilization to establish a food crisis response mechanism. The final component concerns overall coordination and monitoring of activities which will be carried out by the country’s Food Security Commission (CSA). The estimated programme cost is UA 4.325 million.