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Abstract
Drought is a recurring reality in many parts of the Sub-Saharan Africa, where agriculture continues to be a major sector of most economies, and being predominantly rain-fed, is highly prone to drought. Drought thus gives challenges to economic management at all levels, from households, to governments at all levels, other concerned agencies, local NGOs, external donors, and international organizations involved in disaster relief provision. Dealing with drought has long been a key element of policy making in SSA but the poor outcomes of drought experience in many situations mean that there is yet far to go in refining drought management to avoid the suffering from hunger and starvation. Much contemporary effort is being focused novel instruments that may enrich the policy agenda and mainstream drought preparedness in the broader development strategy. It is important to adopt a comprehensive drought risk management strategy, and shift from a crisis management mode to ex-ante strategic interventions.