Parametric insurance has the potential to serve a significant developmental role in Africa, as it pays out benefits based on a predetermined index for losses resulting from catastrophic events, Clyde & Co's Max Ebrahim and Wynne Lawrence wrote in Commercial Risk Online . In the article, GIIF's collaboration with ACRE Africa , which is serving the populations in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, is also cited.

Accra, Ghana, 27 April 2017 – IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Africa Reinsurance Corporation supported a two-day technical workshop on risk modeling and strategic decision-making for index insurance products. Most of the agricultural land in Sub-Saharan Africa is rain-fed, and many regions are vulnerable to climate shocks such as drought, flooding, and irregular rainfall. To limit their losses in any given year, smallholder farmers often invest very little into their land, which leads to reduced yields and contributes to food insecurity. Insurance can be a good risk management tool...

Index insurance, water harvesting, diverse cash crops, land management, new technologies, and community-based approaches are expected to enhance Ethiopia’s resilience to climate change, according to UN Development Programme. “The Government of Ethiopia has recognized its vulnerability and has been working hard to pursue climate resilient development growth,” said Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen speaking at a high-level humanitarian meeting in early 2017. Read more here .

Driven by the success of its parametric solutions, AXA accelerates the development of these products by launching AXA Global Parametrics that will broaden the range of solutions to better serve existing customers and expand its scope to SMEs and individuals. To lead this new entity, Tanguy Touffut, previously Global Head of Parametric Insurance at AXA Corporate Solutions, was appointed CEO of AXA Global Parametrics, effective March 1st. Parametric insurance is based on the use of a parameter correlated to a client’s damages or losses. A wide variety of risks can be covered through parametric...