Expansion of Livestock Insurance Coverage Among Rangeland Herders in Ethiopian Highlands: A Policy Impact Study on Risk Management Risks

Livestock insurance coverage in Ethiopian rangelands is limited, posing significant risks to herders. A mixed-methods approach combining survey data with qualitative interviews was employed. Insurance uptake increased by 30% in targeted communities, reducing perceived risks by an average of 25%. Expansion policies should focus on education and incentives to maximise coverage. Develop tailored insurance products and implement community-based risk management initiatives. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.