Pathways to Resilience in Semi-Arid Economies (PRISE) is a five-year, multi-country research project that generates new knowledge about how economic development in semi-arid regions can be made more equitable and resilience to climate change. PRISE aims 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 does so by deepening their understanding of the threats and opportunities that Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) economies face in the context of climate change.
Ground breaking in its focus, PRISE research adopts 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 begins by identifying the decisions people need to make now about investment choices and development options for semi-arid regions. In this regard, decision-makers and the research team decide jointly on the research questions and study areas to ensure that the research responds to demand.
This approach means that PRISE has the flexibility to support policy makers and investors with quick-response research whenever the need arises, as well as the capacity to lead longer-term collaborative studies.
PRISE research project targets ASALs across six countries in Africa and Asia namely: Burkina Faso, Senegal, Tanzania, Kenya, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The research is organised around five Work Packages (WPs):
Each WP is led by a consortium partner and engages researchers from across the five consortium members to ensure a blend of cross-disciplinary expertise and methodological insights.