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Insurance and risk transfer

The process of formally or informally shifting the financial consequences of particular risks from one party to another, whereby a household, community, enterprise or State authority will obtain resources from the other party after a disaster occurs, in exchange for ongoing or compensatory social or financial benefits provided to that other party. Risk insurance is a key disaster risk management activity.

This theme covers aspects of disaster risk financing, catastrophe bonds, financial resilience, and micro-insurance.

Latest Insurance & risk transfer additions in the Knowledge Base

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Disasters have cost us $162 billion this year. Insurance covered most of it.

The first half of 2025 marks a new inflection point in the global climate risk landscape. According to leading professional services firm Aon, global insured losses from natural catastrophe events reached $100 billion.

World Economic Forum (WEF)
Update
Startup uses AI-powered balloons for critical tasks in wake of disasters: 'Insurance in the face of catastrophes'

After disasters, stratospheric balloons and cameras quickly and safely capture damage data to support insurance claims.

The Cool Down
Update
Is climate change affecting your car insurance rates?

After wreaking havoc on the homeowners' insurance market in the United States and beyond in recent years, climate change is coming for your car insurance premium.

Context
Aerial drone view of a moody atlantic ocean wave on a black sand beach during summer in Iceland
Research briefs
A new wave in disaster financing: Parametric insurance for tsunami

Researchers at Tohoku University worked together with Swiss RE International SE (Japan Branch) to come up with solutions for more sustainable and cost-effective parametric insurance that supports both victims and disaster risk financing policymakers.

Tohoku University 東北大学
Flooded street in the city of York in the United Kingdom. The first story of the red brickstone houses is under water.
Update
Insurance, equity and nature in England’s changing climate

Pranav Shankar Kaundinya and Mariam Parekhelashvili present eight reflections on how flood insurance can be made more equitable as flood risk intensifies in England – and consider how nature might be integrated into the conversation.

London School of Economics and Political Science, the
Update
QBE Foundation partners with Humanity Insured to help provide affordable insurance and resiliency support to climate-vulnerable communities in Asia

QBE Foundation announced a milestone partnership with Humanity Insured to support inclusion and resiliency among Asia's most climate-vulnerable communities.

QBE Insurance Group Ltd.
Borneo, Indonesia - August, 6th 2023: a local man holding a sprayer and extinguishing fire on a burning forest in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Update
Indonesia has the tools to protect against disasters – now it’s time to unlock their full potential

Every year, hazards disrupt lives across Indonesia. The country already has a variety of disaster risk financing tools and social protection programmes in place, but as climate risks grow, these need to reach more people more effectively.

Centre for Disaster Protection
Cover
Documents and publications
Climate risk insurance modelling for Australia’s future

This is the second in a series of climate vulnerability assessments aimed at testing the resilience of the financial sector to climate risk. Climate vulnerability assessments examine how the financial system can respond to both physical & transition risks

Oxford economics
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