Given the unfortunate recurrence of droughts in the Horn of Africa, there is urgency in investing and maintaining drought resilient agriculture and agribusiness.

The financial, food and fuel crises as well as climate-related disasters have dominated the global stage in the past five years. Unless we recognize the interconnectivity among these events, responses will likely remain inadequate.

What explains the wide variability of development programs in achieving the targeted outcomes? Are we neglecting crucial links that can make development work more effective?

The concern for inclusive growth, or a growth pattern that includes all income strata, is not new. What is different is the nascent realization that without it, sustained growth will not be possible in the future.

To be more effective in facing global natural disasters, both international institutions and governments need to have plans for early emergency relief and have a cadre of well-trained staff that can be deployed within hours of an emergency.