The RISE portfolio aims to strengthen resiliency in communities and governments in selected, somewhat adjoining areas of Burkina Faso and Niger (see maps in Figure 2). The portfolio, worth about $330 million, consists of a diversity of projects and programs with different aims, objectives, mandates, approaches, funding levels and durations. The physical, political and economic environment in these areas can be unpredictable, and vulnerability and exposure to risks is often high. To protect the investment and to mitigate potential risks, an operational strategy for shock response has been developed. Studies have shown that the returns on shock response are high – in the order of 3 to 1.