International
Climate Initiative (IKI)

Promoting Integrated Mechanisms for Climate Risk Management and Transfer

As of: January 2020

Objective and activities

As a result of climate change, it is anticipated that extreme weather events will increase in many regions worldwide. The impacts of floods, droughts and storms and their resulting damage can be devastating, particularly for societies with insufficient means to adequately adapt to climate-related changes. Societies can cope better with the impacts of climate change if insurance is part of an integrated disaster risk management system for weather extremes, which includes prevention, preparation, risk transfer, and reconstruction. The project strengthens Ghana’s adaption to climate change in the agricultural sector through direct and indirect insurance products in the framework of an integrated management of drought and flood risks. In addition, the project develops solutions in other sectors and countries including critical urban infrastructure and transport. It provides the analysis and sharing of positive examples, e.g. through the UNFCCC climate dialogue.

Predecessor project(s)

Innovative Insurance Products for Climate Change Adaptation

State of implementation/results

• One of the most visible consequences of global warming is an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. Climate change is expected to worsen these effects. Floods, droughts and heavy storms are particularly affecting communities that do not have adequate means to adapt to climate change. Communities vulnerable to climate change can better adapt to its consequences if insurance is part of an integrated disaster risk management. The approach integrates prevention, risk transfer, preparedness, response and recovery.
• The project strengthens the adaptation of Ghanaian agriculture to climate change through direct and indirect insurance solutions as part of an integrated management of drought and flood risks. New solutions for the urban sector (infrastructure), renewable energy and industrial parks are also being developed in pilot countries. These innovations are actively introduced into the international dialogue, e.g. within the framework of the UNFCCC climate dialogue, the SDGs or the Sendai process. In addition, the BMU is advised on climate risk insurance and management.
Status of implementation/results:
• The concept of Integrated Climate Risk Management (ICRM) was developed and established on an interdisciplinary basis across organisational and technical boundaries.
• The roadmaps for the three new sectors (Urban Resilience in China, Renewable Energy in Barbados and Industrial Zones in Morocco) as well as for the implementation in Ghana were developed together with the target groups and integrated into the political processes.
• To this end, risk analyses (hazard, exposure and vulnerability) were carried out and cost-benefit comparisons of various risk management strategies were drawn up.
• In Ghana, a roadmap for the development of an extended national emergency plan for drought in a multi-stakeholder approach was also drawn up.
• Ghana was supported in the process of accreditation with the regional structure African Risk Capacity (ARC). The decision of the parliament is pending.
• For the agricultural sector, a conceptual framework, instruments and guiding questions have been developed to support government officials and development organisations wishing to consider insurance solutions in developing a comprehensive risk management concept.
• A set of success factors for the implementation of insurance systems in the agricultural context was developed. The results have been presented through various formats and political platforms (e.g. CoP, GPDRR, Adaptation Futures, NAP Expo, SDGs etc.) and technical platforms (e.g. Understanding Risk, International Microin-surance Conference, PSI events, ICLEI etc.).
• Best practices, educational films, games and virtual reality games have been developed and are publicly accessible.
• The database developed in cooperation with the Global Index Insurance Facility (GIIF) of the World Bank Group (Climate Insurance), which is also reflected on the UNISDR platform "Prevention Web", now presents the activities of 8 international organisations with 22 fact sheets (reports on project activities) and 6 InFocus (field reports and lessons learned on project-specific topics). Access to both platforms opens up a broader user group from different disciplines (including climate risk management, -insurance, -change and -adaptation).

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