Jamaica builds on parametric disaster risk financing for 2025. Cat bond remains core
The Government of Jamaica has prepared itself for the 2025 hurricane season with a further increase to its National Natural Disaster Risk Financing Policy arrangements, with the largely parametric reserves and contingent financing augmented with parametric insurance and its World Bank catastrophe bond. In March this year, the Jamaican Ministry of Finance negotiated a further J$6.5 billion contingent financing arrangement, which we believe was in the form of a World Bank supported Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT DDO).
In addition, the Jamaican government has meaningful layered protection from a range of instruments, made up of its own reserves and contingent disaster financing, contingent instruments from international partners, parametric insurance from the CCRIF and its catastrophe bond that sits at the top of the layered financing tower.
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"The NNDRFP allows the government to prepare financially for natural disasters, the policy ensures funds are available for response and recovery efforts. Had this government not had the foresight to ensure we had this multi-layered risk absorbing facility in place when category five hurricane Beryl hit, we would not have been able to do the emergency repairs to public infrastructure, clean up and relief recovery activities, as well as the social expenditure to assist vulnerable populations.
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