Although disaster insurance is far from a panacea for managing the risks posed by climate change, it can provide a certain amount of resilience for vulnerable people in the short term. There have been some interesting examples of disaster risk insurance facilities that have come on stream since last year’s Cancun climate conference. … there is one that has been operating successfully… and which may offer a model for others to copy: The Caribbean Climate Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF).

Poorer countries are less able to afford the “premiums” that catastrophe bond issuers pay to investors in return for protection. But countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal could benefit from a regional risk-pooling mechanism like the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, a multi-country disaster-relief fund set up in 2007. This is a donor-backed scheme for the rainiest of days, into which Caribbean governments also pay a contribution. The CCRIF includes a lot of countries, which diversifies risk and reduces premiums.

The G-7 announced action to support efforts by vulnerable developing countries to manage climate change-related disaster risk through insurance, with an aim to increase the number of people with access to direct or indirect climate risk insurance coverage by up to 400 million by 2020. This commitment will build upon existing risk insurance facilities such as the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF). In 2014, the United States contributed $10 million to support expansion of catastrophe risk insurance coverage through the CCRIF to Central American countries.

“[CCRIF] could serve as a model for collective strategies for dealing with natural disasters ... [it] provides participating governments from the Caribbean region with immediate access to cash if hit by a hurricane or earthquake and could save countries signifi cantly. Pooling their risk will save the 16 participating countries approximately 40 per cent in individual premium payments.”

“[CCRIF] could serve as a model for collective strategies for dealing with natural disasters ... [it] provides participating governments from the Caribbean region with immediate access to cash if hit by a hurricane or earthquake and could save countries signifi cantly. Pooling their risk will save the 16 participating countries approximately 40 per cent in individual premium payments.” Mr. John Nash, former lead economist for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank

“[CCRIF is] one of the most significant developments to have taken place in recent years in the region. I am really pleased with the speed with which CCRIF has been able to respond to those cases – Haiti, Anguilla and the Eastern Caribbean countries – that were battered by Tomas.” Hon. Bruce Golding, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, speaking at the fifth Caribbean Conference on Disaster Management in Jamaica in 2010

“…we call upon the IMF and World Bank Group to further enhance the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), and to facilitate greater access to fi nancing for climate change mitigation and adaptation.” Hon. Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance, Jamaica, in his address at the 2010 IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings

“Anguilla’s membership in CCRIF has brought signifi cant benefi ts to the island, the major one being to make the Government of Anguilla as robust as possible to natural . . . disasters, with enhanced ability to respond after a major disaster event.”

“Later this year, world leaders will gather in Warsaw for the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference, and the agenda will include regional risk pools. Any effective mechanism for adapting to climate change needs to provide timely and reliable funding linked to weather events. Fundamentally this is an insurance proposition. The ARC and its Caribbean sister institution, the Caribbean Catastrophic Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), stand at the forefront of this effort.”

“CARICOM’s wisdom and foresight were evident in the creation of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) whose prompt payout to Haiti turned out to be one of the signifi cant sources of fi nancing in this, Haiti’s hour of need.” Amb. Edwin Carrington, former CARICOM Secretary- General, speaking at the 2010 COFAP meeting