New publication shows index insurance has potential to help manage climate risks and reduce poverty

Climate has always presented a challenge to farmers, herders, fishermen and others whose livelihoods are closely linked to their environment, particularly those in poor areas of the world.

It highlights a number of case studies of the various applications of index insurance across the world thus far. Among them are:

•A public-private partnership program in Brazil to support farmers
•A multinational scheme in the Caribbean for earthquake and hurricane risk
•A national program in Ethiopia to complement a drought early warning system
•A program to enable access to credit for smallholder farming communities in Malawi
•Public and private programs in India that offer contracts across many states, for many crops, covering a range of risks, from excessive rainfall to extreme temperatures.

"The excitement here is that we're applying new thinking to confront long-standing problems." - Stephen E. Zebiak, IRI director-general