Unlocking insurability: reducing risk through early action

Climate change is pushing the world's most vulnerable populations out of the insurance perimeter. Rising losses/volatility, persisting climate crisis and affordability constraints are rendering critical sectors, particularly agriculture and food systems, increasingly uninsurable in Majority World contexts. 

This session challenges the assumption that insurability is fixed. Drawing on live programmes by WFP, UNCDF and others across Fiji, Cuba, Guatemala, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kyrgyzstan, we will explore how linking insurance design to measurable disaster risk reduction and anticipatory action can actively expand insurability.

Approaches include vulnerability-linked premium reductions that reward risk-reducing behaviour and forecast index insurance that triggers payouts before shocks materialise, protecting both communities and portfolios.

Participants will explore what it will take to shift the industry from reacting to losses after disasters strike to investing in resilience before crises unfold. Through collaborative discussion and interactive approaches, the session will challenge participants to co-develop a shared roadmap for scaling systemic, action-oriented solutions.