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Good disaster prevention is key! This is again underpinned by the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Innovation has the potential to boost it. The RISK Award First-Hand News provides insights into ten outstanding projects which have made it to the final evaluation round of the 2017 RISK Award. We briefly introduce innovative ideas on how to use ICT to make a difference. For safety, empowerment and resilience. 

The RISK Award has been set up to help improve risk reduction and disaster management by providing financial support to projects dedicated to this topic. A short film provides insights.
> Watch the video

The 12th International Microinsurance Conference was hosted by the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL), the Munich Re Foundation and the Microinsurance Network. Over 400 insurance and development experts from 50 countries participated in the event - which took place for the fourth time in Asia. 80 speakers shared their knowledge in 30 sessions.

Nowadays, all the talk seems to be about big data and innovation. These issues are also important for Munich Re Foundation. After all, new methods and technologies can change the world – sometimes all that is needed is a simple but clever idea. On the following pages of our 2016 annual report, you can learn how innovations help many of our projects to forge ahead.

The lack of coordination between government agencies, involvement of the collaboration networks existing in the community, and incorporation of spatial planning in the location of the new settlements around L'Aquila (Italy) after the 2009 earthquake has delayed reconstruction of the city centre. The displaced population was relocated to 19 new settlements. These new settlements are characterized by a lack of urban facilities. The aim of this paper was to analyze the relationship between urban facilities, collaboration networks and lack of spatial resilience in the recovery process in L'Aquila.

‘Loss and Damage’ caused by climate change has emerged as a key challenge of the 21st century. This new policy brief frames the challenge highlighting five key insights that feed the debate and create adequate action. Finally, it provides five recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM ExCom) for its five-year work plan, which is in charge of the issue. The policy brief is a product of our 2016 Resilience Academy.

A year after the historic Paris climate agreement was reached by 192 states, country representatives are back at the negotiating table to work out how to implement it. But the talks in Marrakesh will seem a world away for those who are already seeing the effects of environmental stress and climate change first-hand. > Watch the video

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) provided microinsurance coverage through mobile phones to more than 40 million people in Asia, estimates a new study on mobile insurance in the region, carried out by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation, based on 2013-2016 data.

The study shows that there are an estimated 2.6 billion SIM cards activated through various carriers in the Asian region. Two Technical Service Providers (TSPs), BIMA and MicroEnsure, and eight MNOs which carry out distribution of Mobile Microinsurance (MMI) were identified in the region. The total number of lives covered, through these MNOs, stood at a total of 40.3 million by mid-2016, based on available data received through the survey.

Microinsurance in Sri Lanka initially started as a service to support the microfinance sector, focusing on providing loan protection, insurance and life savings. The insurance business extended their services to provide welfare and health products to low-income people. With almost 24% of the population living on less than USD 2 a day (World Bank Statistics, 2015), it was found that health is the largest risk faced by poor households, followed by property risk, which came as a consequence of the tsunami that hit the country in 2004.

Germany is at odds over power transmission lines, feed-in tariffs, financing the nuclear phase-out, and lots more besides. Is it possible to restructure the energy sector – in Germany and around the world? We discussed this and many other topics with experts and our audiences on the five evenings of our 2016 dialogue forums, including what we as individuals can do to make the energy transition a reality.

People with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to disasters because of health, architectural and technological barriers. The 2014 RISK Award honours and funds a project dedicated to improving the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster risk management (DRM). The winner of the 2014 RISK Award is ONG Inclusiva, an organisation based in Peñaflor, a town south of Santiago in Chile. The aim of the project is to reduce or eliminate barriers in the city.

Around 150 representatives from the insurance industry, distribution channels, supervisory authorities and donor organisations met in Cairo to share their experiences and discuss innovations to advance insurance for emerging consumers in Egypt. The event provided participants with an opportunity to share knowledge and learn from other parts of the world. It also helped to improve understanding of the Egyptian market and its opportunities and challenges.

The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the environment in which both microinsurance and traditional insurers operate, in order to promote sustainability of the microinsurance sector in Africa. With a focus on the needs of insurers, this report is intended as a tool which offers valuable and actionable market intelligence of emerging trends and highlights vibrant shifts in the various markets throughout the region.

The Ganges–Brahmaputra delta enables Bangladesh to sustain a dense population, but it also exposes people to natural hazards. This article presents findings from the Gibika project, which researches livelihood resilience in seven study sites across Bangladesh. This study aims to understand how people in the study sites build resilience against environmental stresses, such as cyclones, floods, riverbank erosion, and drought, and in what ways theirstrategies sometimes fail.
> read online

Loss and damage is a concept which gives a better understanding of climate change impacts and promotes more effective adaptation strategies for vulnerable people. At COP19 in November 2013, the “Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts” was established to address loss and damage incurred by climate change. Loss and Damage occurs when the impacts of climate related stressors cannot be avoided through adaptation or mitigation measures.

This publication is the summary of the 11th International Microinsurance Conference that took place in Casablanca, Morocco, on 3 – 5 November 2015. The event, which took place in the MENA region for the first time, brought together some 350 participants from over 50 countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities in microinsurance. 

2015 was a very special year for Munich Re Foundation; we celebrated our first milestone birthday. You cannot move mountains in ten years, but our concept “From Knowledge to Action” has borne fruits. Or, as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Hans-Jürgen Schinzler, summed up in a conversation on our work: “Many people benefit from the work of the foundation.” You can find a retrospect of ten years of foundation work in the middle section of our report. 

This article explores various pathways to involve local communities in EWS from top-down to more participatory approaches. Based on a literature review and three case studies that outline various levels of participation in EWS in Kenya, Hawai'i, and Sri Lanka, the article suggests a need to review the way EWS are designed and applied, promoting a shift from the traditional expert-driven approach to one that is embedded at the grassroots level and driven by the vulnerable communities.
> read online

This year’s landscape study identified 48.6 million people in the Latin America and Caribbean region as covered by at least one microinsurance policy, versus 45.5 million people identified in the 2012 study (based on 2011 data). The study identified 6.8% more lives covered than in 2011. However, the comparable rate of growth for institutions who reported data in both studies is more modest at 2%. The “microinsurance explosion” observed for the period 2005 to 2011 (with 14% compound annual growth rates) has been replaced by a slower growth phase with continued dominance of life and accident products.

This Policy Paper makes a case to international policy makers, national government representatives, UN agencies and other development actors for an integrative approach across these three interrelated international processes centred on strengthening the lives and livelihoods of all people across the world.

Each year, 2.5 million people die as a result of water shortage or polluted drinking water.The United Nations estimates that by 2025, two thirds of the global population will suffer from a lack of water. Food production, energy and sanitation requirements are leading to an ever increasing demand for water. Climate change and population growth are exacerbating these problems.

This preliminary briefing note summarises some of the key insights and trends from the 2015 Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa study which will be published in the first quarter of 2016. This landscape study identified1 61.9 million people in the Africa region as covered by at least one microinsurance policy at the end of 2014, versus 44.4 million people identified in 2011. Looking only at institutions who reported both periods, this represents a comparable growth2 of 30% over the 3-year time period.

2015 ist ein Jahr der Entscheidungen, ein Schlüsseljahr. Wichtige Abkommen wie die Millennium-Entwicklungsziele und die UN-Katastrophenvorsorgestrategie werden neu aufgesetzt. Der Weltklimagipfel Ende des Jahres in Paris soll die Weichen für globalen Klimaschutz neu stellen. Auch wenn insgesamt noch ein langer Weg zu bestreiten ist, die Dialogforen 2015 haben auch gezeigt, dass Verhandlungen wichtig sind, selbst wenn Sie auf den ersten Blick scheinbar wenig bringen. Argumente dafür und weitere spannenden Positionen finden Sie auf dieser Themen- und Bildstrecke.

The first day of the conference will see the launch of the preliminary briefing note of the 2015 Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (2014 data). The study unveils a 30% growth across the African region over a three-year period, with 61.9 m people covered by at least one policy by the end of 2014, compared to 44.4 m people in 2011.

Today, the microinsurance sector sees the launch of a new dynamic platform providing key global data on microinsurance. The interactive map titled “World Map of Microinsurance”, launched by the Microinsurance Network and Munich Re Foundation, enables insurers and microinsurance practitioners to gain a birds-eye view on the landscape of microinsurance worldwide, and to search and extract sector-specific data by region to gain insights into trends in microinsurance, fostering better decision-making at an operational and policy level.

This publication is the summary of the 10th International Microinsurance Conference that took place in Mexico City, Mexico, on 11 – 13 November 2014. The event, which took place in Latin America for the third time, brought together some 400 participants from nearly 60 countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities in microinsurance.

To provide effective aid for people at risk, Munich Re Foundation pursues a strategy that rests on three pillars: knowledge accumulation, education and direct help on the ground. In the past year again, we have achieved much in all three areas. This report provides information of all Munich Re Foundation 2014 project activities.

People on low incomes are extremely vulnerable to risks such as floods, droughts, illnesses or death. Microinsurance aims to protect poor populations from specific perils in exchange for regular premium payments proportionate to the likelihood of the event and the cost of the risk involved.

Education is the basis for correct courses of action and development. The Munich Re Foundation concerns itself with global challenges and promotes learning, education, science and research. Our topics focus on disaster prevention and environmental protection. We also cover climate change and adaptation, vulnerability and resilience, sustainability and the fight against poverty. 

The Munich Re Foundation has been organising dialogue forums in Munich every year since 2006. Over five evenings, attendees are able to discuss current topics with prominent experts and thereby discover new facts and background information. The topics covered in the dialogue forums are of great interest and concern to our society. They require solutions and are of global relevance.

The number and intensity of natural catastrophes is increasing in many regions of the world – with devastating consequences. Disaster prevention is more important than ever. This is why the Munich Re Foundation is funding the set-up and deployment of warning systems specially tailored to the needs of the people at risk. By doing so, we want to improve the resilience of people and communities. 

People on low incomes are extremely vulnerable to risks such as floods, droughts, illnesses or death. Microinsurance aims to protect poor populations from specific perils in exchange for regular premium payments proportionate to the likelihood of the event and the cost of the risk involved. Microinsurance is generally intended for individuals working in the informal economy who have been ignored by mainstream commercial and social insurance schemes or who have simply had no access to the appropriate products.

Water is a vital resource for which there is no substitute. Our blue planet derives its name from the water covering around two-thirds of the earth’s surface. But water is still a resource in short supply. A mere 1% of the world’s water resources are available as drinking water. The Munich Re Foundation supports water creation projects in arid regions and funds immediate emergency aid for water provision when disasters occur.

16 March 2015, SENDAI – All the key drivers of risk are present in the Indian city of Pune where 25,000 people living in ten slums will benefit from a project which today won the 2015 Risk Award and a grant of €100,000 at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

145 organisations from 62 countries have applied for the third RISK Award. The project proposals range from specifically local activities for the promotion of risk reduction to holistic and systematic ideas at national level. This publication summarises a jury selection of the best project proposals in 2015. They provide valuable information as to how effective disaster risk reduction projects can be implemented.

Not all migration behaviours in the context of environmental change are the same. The elderly migrate differently from the young, men from women and the relatively wealthy from the relatively poor. This working paper aims to explain demographic change in post-disaster communities in systemic terms, applying the perspective of socialecological resilience in livelihood systems. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) will expire at the end of 2015. Therefore, great efforts are made in order to adopt a Post-2015 Framework for Risk Reduction at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in 2015 in Japan (cp. UNISDR, 2012). The development of a Post-2015 Framework allows for improvements of the current risk reduction targets and standards. This opportunity has to be realized.

The resilience concept requires greater attention to human livelihoods if it is to address the limits to adaptation strategies and the development needs of the planet's poorest and most vulnerable people. Although the concept of resilience is increasingly informing research and policy, its transfer from ecological theory to social systems leads to weak engagement with normative, social and political dimensions of climate change adaptation. This article is an outcome that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

This paper focuses on the status of resilience as a candidate ‘boundary object’ for facilitating communication and interaction on climate change between actors possessing differing social standpoints and worldviews. The paper argues that resilience possesses two differing properties, while resilience can be regarded as a boundary object, it may also come about through the emergence of boundary objects and related entities. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

As a home to important flora and fauna, with rich cultural roots and heritage, island communities are often characterized by their deep social ties with the natural environment. However, due to environmental degradation, impacts from climate change including slow (e.g. sea level rise) and sudden (e.g. hurricanes) onset events and the associated changes to livelihood structures and opportunities, islands throughout the world face increasing threats. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

Climate-induced environmental change is likely to render some of the places in which people live and maintain livelihoods uninhabitable. While our understanding of the interactions between environmental change and migration has increased, less attention has been paid to places becoming uninhabitable and the processes of relocating entire communities. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

In March 2015 the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Sendai, Japan. The video summarizes the conferences outcomes and shows one highlight, the awarding ceremony of the RISK Award: Thomas Loster, Walter Ammann (GRF) and Margareta Wahlström, UN Special Secretary of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, award Shweta Gupta from the Indian organisation AIILSG with the prize.
> watch the video

Volunteers of ONG Inclusiva prepared a short video which calls for new helping hands. The project team relies on the many volunteers from the local communities to make inclusive resilience a reality.
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„Harvest  fog“ – This very metaphorical expression became reality in Morocco: An innovative method allows to deliver drinking water from the air right into villages in the South-East of the country. Nets collect the fine drops of water from fog in the mountains. The water is then tested on quality, if necessary enriched with minerals and finally transported to the five villages in the valley.
> watch the video

In Paris in December, international climate diplomats hope to put right the failure of the climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009. They aim to achieve an international agreement to mitigate climate change and involve all important players, including the USA and China. But whatever the result will be, humankind must adapt to global warming.

This publication is the summary of the 9th International Microinsurance Conference that took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 12 – 14 November 2013. The event, which took place in Asia for the third time, brought together some 400 participants from nearly 60 countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities in microinsurance.

Loss and damage has risen to global attention with the establishment of the ‘Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts’. While much of the discussion has focused on loss and damage to human livelihoods, climate change is also having a significant impact on ecosystems. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

Central America continues to be a violent region and is prone to increasing climatic shocks and environmental degradation. This paper explores the non-linear feedback loop between violence and climate shocks on livelihood resilience in El Salvador and Honduras, two countries experiencing high rates of violence. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

Seventy-seven organisations from forty-four countries have applied for the second RISK Award. The project proposals range from safer primary schools and the inclusion of special-needs citizens in evacuation plans to system ideas at national level. This publication summarises a selection of the best project proposals 2014. They provide valuable information on how effective inclusive disaster risk management can be implemented.

This year’s landscape study identified 48.6 million people in the Latin America and Caribbean region as covered by at least one microinsurance policy, versus 45.5 million people identified in the 2012 study (based on 2011 data). The study identified 6.8% more lives covered than in 2011. However, the comparable rate of growth for institutions who reported data in both studies is more modest at 2%. The “microinsurance explosion” observed for the period 2005 to 2011 (with 14% compound annual growth rates) has been replaced by a slower growth phase with continued dominance of life and accident products.

‘Nature does not discriminate, but humans do’ – a deliberately echoed sentiment in an area affected by Cyclone Sidr - problematizes the practice of resource distribution in post-disaster situations. While relief and rehabilitation services have the objective of ‘building back better’, the possibility of elite-capture of resource distribution channels, jeopardizes humanitarian initiatives. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

This report is the summary of the Microinsurance Learning Sessions: Latin America and the Caribbean 2013 that took place in Guadalajara, Mexico, on 29 September 2013 as part of the XIII Interamerican Forum on Microenterprise – Foromic. The Microinsurance Learning Sessions were hosteded by the Multilateral Investment Fund and the Munich Re Foundation, with the support of the Microinsurance Innovation Facility of the International Labour Organization, the Inter-American Federation of Insurance Companies (FIDES) and the Microinsurance Network.

Climate and natural hazards are increasing in intensity, frequency and complexity. Their related impacts have powerful implications for humanity, particularly communities with deep reliance upon natural resources. The development of effective Early Warning Systems could contribute to foster livelihood resilience by improving coping mechanisms and even enhancing adaptive capacity. This paper is part of a set of working papers that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

Where in arid regions, rain and groundwater resources are too meagre to supply drinking water, the extraction of water from fog is an obvious alternative for improving the supply of drinking, process and irrigation water. Technical, ecological and socioeconomic studies are required for sustainable optimisation of this seemingly simple solution.

The CloudFisher collects drinking water from fog without requiring energy. It is the first standard fog collector in the world resisting to wind speeds of up to 120 km/h. It is quickly installed, does not require additional energy and is extremely low-maintenance. All used materials are food safe.
> watch the video

Europa erlebte in jüngerer Zeit einige Lebensmittelskandale: Pferdelasagne, falsche Bio-Eier und EHEC-Sprossen waren nur die Spitze des Eisbergs. Während hierzulande Essen sorglos weggeworfen wird und oft nur die Frage der Qualität im Mittelpunkt steht, hungern die Menschen in vielen Teilen der Welt.

In October 2005, the Munich Re Foundation organised a landmark event when it brought 90 experts to Schloss Hohenkammer to discuss the provision of insurance for low-income policyholders. This became the fi rst of ten (and counting) annual international conferences that have rotated around the world each year, from Latin America to Africa to Asia.

Fishing has been practised as long as mankind has existed. For a long time, the oceans were safe from overexploitation by humans. Fishermen were exposed to significant risks during their work, the oceans were considered large and unmanageable. Local fish and shellfish stocks were only at risk in isolated cases. This changed with the industrial revolution when machines replaced muscle power.

This week, the world’s attention will turn to the iconic paradise island of Samoa, as government leaders gather to discuss the future of small-island developing states (SIDS). SIDS have bountiful supplies of renewable resources but the challenges ahead are daunting. Isolation and remoteness coupled with climate change, the impacts of natural disasters, and out-migration means that even island life itself is being threatened. This article is an outcome that resulted from the Resilience Academy 2013-2014.

“It has something to do with the environment, right?” Answers to this effect were the standard response when passers-by on the street were asked ten years ago what sustainability was about. More profound statements such as “We should leave the earth to our children and grandchildren in the state we found it,” were rare at that time. 

Mikroversicherung hat sich in den vergangenen zehn Jahren rapide entwickelt. In Lateinamerika und der Karibik hat sich die Anzahl der Versicherten zwischen 2005 und 2011 mehr als verdoppelt, in Afrika sogar verdreifacht, so dass dort nun 7,8 bzw. 4,4 Prozent der Bevölkerung mikroversichert sind. Auch in Asien wächst der Mikroversicherungsmarkt rapide, oft mit zweistelligen Raten. In Indien, dem Land mit den meisten Mikroversicherten, sind mittlerweile über 110 Millionen Menschen abgedeckt.

At the 10th International Microinsurance Conference in Mexico City from November 11 to 13, 2014, insurance experts will discuss the potential for insurance for emerging customer segments in Latin America and the Caribbean. The conference coincides with the release of the latest Landscape Study of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean, published by the Microinsurance Network together with the Munich Re Foundation. The study indicates progress towards financial inclusion with 7.9% of the region’s population now having access to microinsurance.

Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania is growing fast. A number of governments such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines have started developing a regulatory framework to facilitate the development of innovative solutions. As more and more stakeholders see the potential of microinsurance for the insurance industry and for economic development in the region, the demand for detailed data on the status of microinsurance grows. However, until now, only sparse information on the latest trends, main growth drivers and key market development topics has been available.

The Microinsurance Learning Session Asia and Oceania, will be held from 3 – 4 July in Manila, Philippines and is expected to bring together more than 100 microfinance and microinsurance experts and advocates to celebrate the launch of “The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania 2013” study report. 

The human race is faced with a Herculean task: CO2 emissions are today growing at a faster rate than in the three decades before. This is stimulating climate change. In the next 20 to 30 years, the entire CO2 budget of approximately 1,000 billion metric tons (gigatons) will already have been used up. This is the amount of CO2 that we still can release into the atmosphere if we want to limit the temperature increase to 2°C higher than it was in pre-industrial times.

In 2012, microinsurance covered 7.31 % of Tanzania’s population. Only three countries in Africa registered a higher percentage. Tanzania ranks fourth, but it probably has the highest poten¬tial for growth. Led by the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), the spread of microinsurance among low-income segments is a major priority of the Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT) and the Association of Tanzania Insurers (ATI). 

People at risk are our concern. We help them to recognise dangers, master the problems of daily life and protect themselves against natural disasters. For example in Bangladesh, a country that ranks a low 146 on the Human Development Index of the United Nations. This report summarises the project activities of the Munich Re Foundation in 2013.

Microinsurance in Africa is a nascent and complex industry involving many stakeholders and operating in a variety of environments. The early stage of its development and its complexity make it difficult to get an overview of what is happening in Africa with microinsurance without a focused and persistent approach.

La micro-assurance connaît, dans le monde entier, un intérêt croissant de la part d’un grand nombre de parties prenantes et les activités y afférentes se sont multipliées ces dernières années. Cette étude a pour but de fournir un aperçu du statut et des dynamiques de ce secteur en Afrique. À ce jour, trois vastes études ont été réalisées sur la situation de la micro-assurance : the Landscape of Microinsurance in the World’s 100 Poorest Countries (Roth, et al, 2007), the Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa (Matul, et al, 2010) et the Landscape of Microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean (McCord, et al, 2012). 

There are many debates in the literature on the concepts of social vulnerability and resilience, but these simplified approaches capture their essence. Social vulnerability and different types of resilience broadly provide sufficient opportunities for (non-) governmental organizations to frame policies and practices for their specific mandates and, in this way, support the shift from theory to practice in order to support communities in becoming more sustainable and resilient.

Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique with approximately 450,000 inhabitants. It has been facing increasing environmental stress and natural hazards over the last decades. Population explosion, mainly due to immigration from rural areas, is one driving factor. In fact, the population has almost doubled since 1980.

The 2012 Summer Academy ‘From Social Vulnerability to Resilience: Measuring Progress toward Disaster Risk Reduction’ demonstrated the importance of providing evidence-based support for managing disaster risk. It achieved this by focusing on the hazards of places and providing a comprehensive examination of a number of empirically based approaches for measuring hazard exposure, losses and social vulnerability. At the close of a series of seven very successful summer academies under the Munich Re Foundation Chair on Social Vulnerability, participants’ skills were deepened and their professional networks enriched and strengthened.

This briefing note summarises the findings of the “The Landscape of Microinsurance in Asia and Oceania” study to be discussed during the 9th International Microinsurance Conference. The study complements “The Landscape of Microinsurance in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean” published in 2012 and completes the “World Map of Microinsurance”.

The microinsurance sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has recently experienced tremendous growth in life and accident coverage as well as a notable increase in products covering multiple risks. Despite some significant initiatives, primary health and property microinsurance coverage remains extremely limited. In the eleven countries for which previous data was available, the total number of people and properties identified as covered by microinsurance grew by 125% over the six years from 2005 through the end of 2011.

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) of Nigeria together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) and the Munich Re Foundation organized an ‘International Microinsurance Conference’ in partnership with the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) and the Microinsurance Network. The conference took take place on September 10th and 11th, 2013 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

The unconventional monetary politics of the major central banks are helping the global economy. However, institutions that depend on capital growth, such as foundations, are coming under increasing pressure as a result. This raises the question of how reasonable returns can even be achieved in times of low interest rates and potential state bankruptcies. 

Fog nets enable access to ample supplies of drinking water even in arid and virtually inaccessible regions. Our aim is to ensure a fully functioning water supply and thus enhance the life quality and improve the resilience of people at risk. We support the p(e)d world organisation which is building fog collectors in Tanzania.
> watch the video

Growth of the global economy alone will not be enough to combat poverty in the developing countries. What is needed are project-related financial donations and sustained initiatives that will enable people to help themselves. With its projects, the Munich Re Foundation has set itself the target of making a contribution to the millennium goal of eradicating poverty.
> watch the video

This publication is the summary of the 8th International Microinsurance Conference that took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 6 –8 November 2012. The event, which took place in Africa for the third time, brought together a record number of 590 participants from around 60 countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities in microinsurance.

According to new research released by the Munich Re Foundation and GIZ, the microinsurance sector in Asia and Oceania has reached 172 million lives and properties covered, representing a 40% annual growth rate between 2010 and 2012. India is leading the market at over 100 million, whilst Malaysia and Indonesia emerge as having the most vibrant microinsurance markets with a growth rate of 185% and over 100% respectively, over the same time period. 

In 2011, the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) presented an extensive study entitled “World in transition – A social contract for sustainability”. In this study, the WBGU examines courses that can be taken towards a low-impact and sustainable global economy and society. 

Agriculture is the main source of poor people’s income and employment in most developing countries. But it is an uncertain business, particularly for the poor, and calls for risk mitigation, risk transfer and risk coping. Improving these mechanisms can have large benefits, as the risk is costly. Insurance can not only reduce risk for farmers but increase productivity, by supporting credit.

Whether for school children or adults, in international comparisons of educational performance, Germany only takes middle and even bottom positions in the overall rankings. The education system does not work because social background is more decisive for the opportunities of social advancement than merit, and too many young people leave school without graduating.

Microinsurance helps provide security for low-income inhabitants in developing countries and supports their economic development. However, only a small number of people have access to the products so far. The increasing use of mobile communication networks as a distribution channel gives reason for hope.

23 May 2013, GENEVA – Details were announced today of the 2014 RISK Award – “Disaster Emergency – Resilience for the Most Vulnerable” and a call was made for applications for the Award which includes a grant of €100,000 for a project in disaster emergency planning which focuses on the most vulnerable. The deadline for applications is 31 December 2013. 

Nach Zahlen der Weltbank leben derzeit weit mehr als 4 Mrd. Menschen in den Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern mit weniger als 5 US$ Einkommen am Tag. Davon haben und 1,3 Mrd. Menschen weniger als 1,25 US$ am Tag Verfügung und leben somit nach Welbankstandards unterhalb der absoluten Armutsgrenze.

Recent decades have seen a significant increase in the number of natural catastrophes with devastating consequences. Tsunamis and earthquakes have resulted in major losses and high death tolls in the past few years. Weather-related events are becoming more frequent and more severe also due to climate change. Warning systems have always played a key role in reducing casualty figures and preventing or minimising losses. Since the massive Tsunami of December 2004, which caused over 220,000 deaths in Asia and Africa, effective early warning has become an increasingly important factor in disaster prevention.

The results of 2012 show that the foundation is on the right path and that people around the world benefit from our work. To present the scope of our work more effectively and also improve reading enjoyment, the foundation’s 2012 report has taken on a new look.

The topic of loss and damage associated with climate change is new for both science and policy. Science is exploring the consequences of climate change impacts driven by human action affecting the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere – which in turn affects atmospheric and ocean temperatures.

Today, the challenges faced by fragile states are multidimensional. Mainly, there are political, economic and social areas where one government could prove its weakness and incapacity to practice the rule of power. Environmental factors further challenge fragile states in applying approaches to be used for delivering resilience and institutional stability to their populations. As part of this, climate change makes no distinction between solid states and fragile states and creates very difficult situations for so many by now feeble states.

Munich, 30 October 2012 – A new study of African microinsurance markets, published by Making Finance Work For Africa (MFW4A) and Munich Re Foundation, finds that the number of low-income households benefitting from insurance services has grown by over 200% in 3 years to in excess of 44 million people. “This is a tremendous achievement. The expansion of quality insurance services to large numbers of low-income households can have a significant role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” said the ILO’s Craig Churchill, Chair of the Microinsurance Network. With Munich Re Foundation and the Tanzanian Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), the Network is cohosting the 8th International Microinsurance Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between 6 – 8 November 2012, where the study will officially be launched.

The landscape of microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean was commissioned by the Multilateral Investment Fund, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, and was developed by the MicroInsurance Centre. This study also received the support of the Citi Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation.
Over the past decade, it has been widely recognized that insurance provides the low-income population with important benefits which can help prevent individuals and families from falling back into extreme poverty when they are faced with a financial loss.

This report is the summary of the 7th International Microinsurance Conference that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 8 –10 November 2011. It was hosted by the Munich Re Foundation and the Microinsurance Network and supported by the Brazilian Confederation of Insurers (CNseg), the Superintendence of Private Insurance (SUSEP), GIZ / BMZ and Georgia State University.

The book provides a state-of-the-art overview of research on climate impacts, adaptation, and mitigation. It outlines a policy framework for linking climate change, global justice, and sustainable development. Furthermore, it provides a timely background and input to the RIO+20 summit and climate negotiations at COP18 in Qatar. The authors cover interdisciplinary research results from climate science, development economics, ethics, hydrology, and agriculture.

There is widespread consensus that research is a vital pillar for transformation to worldwide sustainable development. Two examples are the need for a regionally resolved understanding of the impact of climate change, and a better understanding of the socio-economic implications of and a viable transformation to a green economy.

Fragility encompasses a number of partially overlapping but distinct notions and labels: vulnerability to humanitarian crises (including slow and rapid onset disasters resulting from natural hazards), underdevelopment, political instability, lack of security, lack of legitimacy and authority, lack of political commitment of a government to perform its duties, lack of capacity to deliver basic services, and in some cases but not necessarily a condition, conflict and post-conflict environments.

The adverse impacts of climate change are already being felt in countries in the developing world in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Some countries are taking the lead in combating those adverse impacts through adaptation. Bangladesh is one of the leading countries in this respect.

In times of financial and euro crises, the fact is easily overlooked that millions upon millions of people have been enduring an acute existential plight for many decades: they are suffering from hunger. However, there are initial approaches in Africa aimed at insuring the people affected, at least financially, against the impact of failed harvests, helping them to withstand the consequences of droughts.

The ‘International Microinsurance Conference – Learning Sessions Ghana’ conference will take place on May 22nd and 23rd, 2012 at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. The event is organized by the National Insurance Commission of Ghana (NIC) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in partnership with three high profile organizations engaged in the microinsurance sector: the Munich Re Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by the global reinsurer Munich RE, the Microinsurance Network, an international network of multilateral agencies and other stakeholders active in this area; and the financial sector development initiative Making Finance Work for Africa.

Increasing losses due to climate change are threatening the livelihoods of many people, especially in low-income countries. Thus, the international community must not only promote climate protection but also provide financial support for adaptation measures.

This second volume of Protecting the poor is a unique collection of recent practices and emerging ideas in microinsurance. It covers numerous innovations that have emerged in recent years to meet the challenges of providing insurance to low-income people, from new products and deliverychannels to consumer education tools, while examining changes in regulations, providers and schemes. As the microinsurance community dramatically evolves and millions more low-income households have access to better insurance cover, this timely second volume will be an invaluable resource for policymakers, insurers, academics and NGOs. 

People at risk and social vulnerability are of key concern to the Munich Re Foundation. Since adaptation to climate and environmental change is much more difficult for poorer countries, the focus is primarily on people in the developing world, in regions such as the Horn of Africa, where millions were under threat when severe drought caused famine in 2011. Read more about our 2011 projects.

The collection of fog for the purpose of the production of clean water has attracted increasing attention over the past few decades. It is a simple and sustainable technology with the potential to produce precious water in some regions of the world. It is achieved by exposure of mesh material to foggy air masses. There are numerous projects on five continents to collect fog water, of which some are more successful than others. The beneficiaries are often poor people, although successful projects also exist in more prosperous regions.

The population in Africa is growing rapidly.A recent article by The New York Times described it as a “population bomb”. Sub-Saharan Africa, which today accounts for about 12% of the world’s population, may account for one third in 2100 if the population growth rate remains at the same rate.

The ideas in this Research Brief are the result of the 2010 Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability organized by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and the Munich Re Foundation (MRF) from 25 to 31 July in Hohenkammer, Germany. The publication discusses the issue of: Climate change due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is expected to affect human migration and displacement in the near- and longer-term.

Microinsurance is a young sector. If you had attended a meeting on microinsurance as an insurance professional ten years ago, you would have been a rarity. Until a few years ago, microinsurance was chiefly associated with issues like development aid, corporate social responsibility and self help.

Geneva – For the first time, Munich Re Foundation, the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos and United Nations secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) join forces and offer €100,000 to a risk reduction project that will contribute to increasing people’s resilience to disasters, especially in developing communities which are most at risk. 

There are a number of scenarios in which people could be displaced or forced to migrate due to climate change and extreme weather events. The competition over scarce water supplies, land and jobs that can result from prolonged drought could lead to social upheaval and an increased incidence of violence and ethnic tension. Populations already vulnerable to conflict, environmental scarcity, cultural fragmentation or economic stress will bear the greatest impact as climate disasters worsen. They are less able to withstand climate shocks or build resilience.

Migration is increasingly affecting women too. This has not always been the case. The fact that younger men migrated over considerable distances more easily than women led, particularly during the historic migratory movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, to a surplus of men in the host regions.

Event will gather over 400 experts and worldwide delegates to push issues forward Approximately 135 million people in developing countries already use microinsurance as a means of managing risk for the poorer social classes, according to a Lloyd’s of London report, and this number is only going to grow. In Brazil, the situation is no different and this line of insurance will play a key role in reducing the vulnerability of the low‐income households. This issue will be one of many debated topics during the 7th International Microinsurance Conference, which will place from November 8th to 10th in the Sheraton Leblon Hotel, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This report is a summary of the 6th International Microinsurance Conference that took place in Manila, Philippines, from 9–11 November 2010. The Conference was hosted by the Munich Re Foundation and the Microinsurance Network and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and German Federal Department for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Department of Finance of the Philippines, and Georgia State University’s Center for the Economic Analysis of Risk.

Greenhouse gas emissions are considerably changing atmospheric conditions, leading scientists across the world to conclude that a profound process of global climate change has been set in motion. These changes are expected to exacerbate the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as storm surges, flooding, and hurricanes which are rapid in their occurrence and have a high impact on human security and people’s livelihood.

The ancient routes of the Silk Road that traverse Kyrgyzstan led over centuries to the establishment of many diverse ethnic communities and cultures. Today, the environment in the country has become extremely fragile, leaving many communities impoverished and in conflict with their neighbours. The newly elected government may have less time than it thinks to make a difference.

Earthquakes, floods, droughts – the large number of natural disasters in 2011 have once more brought home to us the fact that prevention is more important than ever. However, to minimise risks in the long term, it is not enough to implement projects in isolation. An approach that uses the combined strengths of partnerships has a greater likelihood of success.

Der Klimawandel mit seinen weit reichenden Folgen ist zu einer der größten Herausforderungen der Menschheit geworden. Häufigere Naturkatastrophen, zunehmende Wetterextreme, steigende Wasserknappheit, überflutete Küstengebiete und ein beschleunigtes Artensterben sind seine unmittelbaren Folgen in fast allen Ländern, aber vor allem in den Entwicklungs- und Schwellenländern.

The earth remains in turmoil. Severe earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, a heat-wave causing massive forest fires in Russia and the hundred-year flood in Pakistan were very clear warnings in 2010 that disaster prevention and management are more urgent than ever. The Munich Re Foundation supported aid projects in Haiti and Pakistan and appealed for donations at home in Germany. However, without sustainable projects for disaster prevention, the aid offered remains incomplete.

The fourth Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability (2009) took a somewhat different approach to learning. The topic of the Academy was climate change and humanitarian crises – following conceptual approaches rooted in complexity, coupled socio-ecological systems and tipping points (among others). This sort of issue is one where the science is difficult, projections of the future conditions nearly impossible and solutions still emerging, at best. Where the knowledge basis is still formative, learning modes (the pedagogical principles) of classical lecture-student format or dialogue-facilitation are inadequate.

In Mozambique, the foundation and its partners are working with the local community to set up flood warning systems along a number of rivers. Early warning systems only work if the people at risk are involved in setting them up. The project was launched in 2005, and successes since then show that the systems work. Flood warning is a central element of our disaster prevention efforts.
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Farmers need more than loans to sustain their business. Micro-insurance can help farmers to avoid falling into poverty traps because of disasters.

The Climate Change, Environment and Migration Alliance (CCEMA), initiated in the year 2008 during an expert workshop on Migration and the Environment: Developing a global research agenda, is a multi-stakeholder global partnership of concerned actors, such as international organizations, interested groups of states, representatives of the private sector, the scientific and professional community, and the civil society. These actors represent a range of perspectives including environment, migration, development and humanitarian assistance.

Thanks to Muhammed Yunus and his Grameen Bank, microcredit is now part of the standard repertoire of global development efforts. Microinsurance is a useful complement. It protects poor peoples' livelihoods from the financial consequences of relatives falling ill or even dying. For the past 10 years, experts have been looking into how insurance schemes can reach people even in countries with under-developed financial systems.

After the failure of the Copenhagen Summit, the question arises whether international climate diplomacy can achieve anything at all. Thomas Loster of the Munich Re Foundation assessed the outlook for the Cancún summit in December. 

There is no way around the necessity of providing immediate aid for the victims of natural disasters to alleviate the suffering of thousands, if not millions of people. However, without sustainable projects for disaster risk management, this type of aid remains incomplete.

Novel way of thinking about climate change, resilience, vulnerability and uncertainty was published by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn and supported by the Munich Re Foundation (MRF). The holistic approach allows a better analysis of interdependent factors which lead to environmental induced humanitarian crisis. It was conceptualized with IPCC lead author Thomas Downing and 25 PhD scholars.

Two basic questions plague the movement to develop sustainable microinsurance products. One is the “business case” for insurers to provide the product and the other is the “value of the product” to the poor.

Diplom-Geograf Thomas Loster ist Geschäftsführer der Münchener Rück Stiftung, davor war er 16 Jahre lang Mitglied der GeoRisikoForschung der Münchener Rückversicherung. Der Katastrophenexperte war Fachgebietsleiter für Wetterisiken, Klimaänderung und Klimapolitik. Zudem war er für die statistische Analyse weltweiter Naturkatastrophen zuständig. Loster ist Mitglied des deutschen Nationalkomitees der UN-Dekade "Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung" und war von 2006 bis 2010 Mitglied des deutschen Rats für Nachhaltige Entwicklung.

The fourth status report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published in 2007, concluded that there is a highly signicant link between global warming and the greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. A considerable body of scientic evidence indicates that flooding and droughts will continue to increase. In many regions, low-lying coastal plains, river deltas and archipelagos will be swamped by the projected rises in sea levels.

The global rescue operation last year prevented a meltdown in the economy. Now we need a radical rethink to avoid a repeat of the financial crisis. "I am convinced that, for economic reasons, such a rescue operation will not be possible a second time.", said Dr. Michael Menhart, Chief Economist at Munich Re. Rapid growth driven by a bubble harbours massive dangers, both economic and political.

Sustainable consumption starts with shopping. This is why Prof. Edda Müller, former Executive Director of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) in Berlin, calls for strict obligatory labelling on all food products. This is the only way consumers can consciously decide what goes into their shopping basket. 

Microloans help people in developing countries lead more independent lives. Despite the relatively high interest rates, according to Dr. Bernd Balkenhol, Head of Social Finance at the International Labour Organization (ILO), this form of financing is indispensible for tackling poverty in the long term.

From 3 to 5 November 2009, the 5th International Microinsurance Conference took place in Dakar, Senegal. This event was hosted by the Microinsurance Network (formerly the CGAP Working Group on Microinsurance), the Munich Re Foundation, supported by the Conference Interafricaine des Marches d’Assurances (CIMA), the African Insurance Organisation (AIO), the Fédération des Sociétés d’Assurances de Droit National Africaines (FANAF), the World Bank, the Journal of Risk and Insurance, the German Association for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Despite the failure of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, climate protection cannot be allowed to retreat into the shadows. However, leading climate researcher Prof. Mojib Latif takes the view that little can be achieved at UN level. Instead, he advocates deploying all the technological means at our disposal.

Die Münchener Rück Stiftung wurde zum 125-jährigen Jubiläum der Münchener Rückversicherung im Jahr 2000 mit einem Stiftungskapital in Höhe von 50 Millionen Euro gegründet. Das ist in der deutschen Stiftungsland, die von vielen kleinen Stiftungen dominiert wird, schon ein großer Betrag, im Verhältnis zu den sehr großen Stiftungen wie der Bosch-Stiftung allerdings eher winzig.

The foundation will be celebrating its fifth anniversary on 7 April 2010 – a perfect opportunity to look back on our work and achievements of the last few years. In line with our motto “From Knowledge to Action”, we will continue to tap into our benefactor’s huge fund of knowledge and use it for the benefit of the people most at risk. Read more about our projects of the last year in our new Munich Re Foundation 2009 report. 

The issue of environment and migration may be the most discussed and debated dimension of the impact of global environmental change on human beings. Indeed, the research and scholarship focusing on the relationship between environment and migration is riven with controversy.

To identify the interrelationships, network the actors, promote awareness and play an active role – these were the Munich Re Foundation’s targets at the start of 2008. You can find out more about our projects and other foundation activitiesin the 2008 report.

The journey – migration, exodus, pilgrimage, a quest for homeland – is a familiar storyline running through many human cultures, and often “nature” plays a role in these journeys. Throughout history, we have indications that environmental changes have contributed to temporary and permanent migration. Pre-history and history are marked by (episodic and localised) migration and displacement from one climate zone to another, as people sought out environments that would support survival as well as aspirations to a more stable existence. (CCEMA Workshop)

This article approaches the problem of environment and migration, variously expressed by the terms “environmental migrants,” “environmental refugees,” “climate migrants,” “environmentally displaced peoples,” and other similar labels or categories, through a consideration of convergent themes regarding nature and society in ecological theory and in social scientific disaster research.

Our most recent scientific assessments indicate that sea level rises of up to one meter are likely in this century. There is the further possibility, in the event of the collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, of increases of as much as five meters. Such rises in sea level are extremely threatening in general, but particularly so to the roughly 600 million people.

This scoping paper is the outcome of the 4th Munich Re Foundation/UNU-EHS Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability that dealt with “Tipping Points in Humanitarian Crises”, July 26th to August 1st, 2009 in Hohenkammer, Germany. The aim of this Academy was to explore tipping points of climate change related to humanitarian crises and to promote their assessment both within the scientific and political communities, in particular with respect to the assessments and recommendations developed by the IPCC.

Since 2008, for the first time in human history, more than half of the global population lives in cities. Urbanisation is currently one of the most powerful transformation processes on our planet. Megacities are an extreme product of this development posing new challenges to and opening unique opportunities for mankind. After providing a brief overview on the global urbanisation process, the policy brief introduces vulnerability and resilience as concepts that allow for new perspectives on megacities.

In a future increasingly marked by a confluence of environmental change and increasing human vulnerability, effective responses to hazards will require the harmonisation of research, policy and praxis on the topic of environmental migration. Currently, strategic planning on the part of policymakers suffers from a lack of data and empirical research about environmental migration, and conversely, policy-oriented research on environmental migration remains sparse.

National solutions are now grossly inadequate when it comes to addressing today’s global problems. This not only prompts questions about the legitimacy of government decisions but also renders a profound knowledge of global risks and the way they interact indispensable. 

Microinsurance can help the inhabitants of poor countries to protect themselves against climate change impacts. But it will not work unless the products are tailored to the needs of the individual regions. 

Warning systems have always played a key role in reducing casualty figures and preventing or minimising losses. The Munich Re Foundation supports the installation of warning systems tailored to the circumstances of those at risk. Successive warning systems are being set up along rivers in central Mozambique whilst, in Tonga, we sponsored the installation of the high frequency (HF) RANET warning system. 

As a member of Munich Re’s Supervisory Board and Chairman of the Munich Re Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Hans-Jürgen Schinzler has been closely involved in the foundation’s work from the very outset. We look back on the first few years of the foundation’s existence and forward to the issues it will address in the future.

By providing financial security against droughts, floods, tropical cyclones and other forms of weather extremes, insurance instruments present an opportunity for developing countries in their concurrent efforts to reduce poverty and adapt to climate change. By pricing risk, insurance provides incentives for reducing risks and adapting to climate change; if these premiums are not affordable to the most vulnerable, donors can combine premium support with risk-reduction measures. In this paper, we examine the costs, benefits and risks of public-private (and donor supported) insurance programmes that offer affordable economic security to vulnerable communities and governments.

The new RANET system provides early warning of storms, tropical cyclones, tsunamis and other natural hazards. This gives inhabitants of the island kingdom the chance to take evasive action and to avoid or at least minimise personal injury and property damage in case of natural disaster. It has also improved the quality of Tonga's weather forecasts.

Die Entwicklungsländer gelten als Opfer unverantwortlichen Handelns der Industrienationen. Was hierzulande versäumt wird, schlägt sich dort in Naturkatastrophen nieder. Das Schlüsselwort, das den Teufelskreis durchbricht, lautet: Nachhaltigkeit.

In the complex field of environmentally induced migration a rigorous and policy oriented scientific research is needed. Today, more than 200 million people have left their homes for political, economic, environmental and other reasons. If these migrants formed a single nation, it would make up the world’s fifth largest country.  

Dialogforum "Die vergessenen Milliarden - Entwicklungsziele in der Krise?". Zum Auftaktabend der Dialogforen am 26. November 2009 haben wir zusammen mit Prof. Radermacher und Prof. von Weizsäcker globale Herausforderungen und Lösungswege diskutiert. Prof. von Weizsäcker erkennt in der Krise eine historische Chance.

The 5th International Microinsurance Conference in Dakar, Senegal, has been taking place this week with the aim of unlocking the full potential of microinsurance by addressing the most challenging topics such as health, access and product design.  

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the mean temperature of the atmosphere will continue to rise by up to several degrees centigrade by the end of the century. The implications for humankind and the environment will be dramatic. Both rapid-onset events, such as an increased frequency and magnitude of wether-related natural hazards, and slow-onset longer term environmental changes will cause many millions of people to migrate.

While there is still a lot of work needed in terms of unpacking drivers of migration including environmental factors, in the meantime locations and hot spots around the globe are heading towards an irreversible tipping point of socio-environmental collapse.

The long-term trends in global damage statistics leave no doubt about that weather disasters have increased dramatically - and affect developing countries the most. What we need is a new Globl Deal covering climate protection and the battle against poverty at once.

Gradual and sudden environmental changes are resulting in substantial human movement and displacement. The scale of such flows, both internal and cross-border, is expected to rise, with unprecedented impacts on lives and livelihoods. Currently, insufficient strategic thinking from policy makers is partly due to a lack of data and empirical research on this topic. Policy-oriented research on ways in which to manage environmental migration remains limited.

Literature investigating forced migration focuses traditionally on factors such as hunger, poverty, war and violation of human rights. More recently, the question has arisen whether environmental degradation such as soil degradation, lack of water, environmental hazards, and other may contribute to forced migration. The concept has been vaguely described as “environmental refugees,” “environmental migrants,” “climate refugees” etc.

In 2007, for the first time in history,more than half of the world’s population lived in an urban area. Megacities are an extreme product of the global urbanisation process.Therefore, they hold a key position in efforts to understand this process and in the development of strategies formanaging these new urban dimensions. A group of young scientists and experts gathered at the Summer Academy 2007 and drafted theMegacity Resilience Framework.

Human security is intrinsically linked to the individual, but also to the characteristics of different demographic groups.To achieve human security requires an understanding of how threats to that security interactwith these characteristics.The focus of this SOURCE issue“Gender and Disasters”brings a unique perspective and shows the interrelation between environmental risk factors and social vulnerability factors; and how they create particular patterns of vulnerability to extreme natural hazard events of natural origin.

The injustice of climate change is nothing short of scandalous, and cries out for a fair, globally coordinated policy of climate protection. If the developing world is ever to adapt to the new environmental conditions, it will need the support of the industrial nations. 

The dossier was published in June 2008 in the context of our ongoing project "Climate Change and Justice". It deals with climate policy, globalisation, and sustainable poverty reduction. The project partners illustrate their point of view in individual articles and suggest a global deal for tackling the major challenges of our times.

Nebel gibt es in Eritrea genug - Wasser nicht. Deshalb unterstützt die Münchener Rück Stiftung ein innovatives Projekt, das mithilfe von Netzen aus Nebel Wasser gewinnt. Anfang März 2007 reiste Dirk Reinhard von der Münchener Rück Stiftung zusammen mit dem Projektinitiator der Wasserstiftung Ebenhausen und einer Journalistin vom ZDF nach Eritrea, um sich über die Projektfortschritte zu informieren.

Even if current oil prices do not signal a shortage, the oil era is bound to come to an end. If we do not switch to new energy sources in the very near future, we will soon find ourselves caught up in a very real supply crisis. 

Die Vergabe von Kleinstkrediten hat sich als ein wirksames Mittel zur selbstbestimmten Befreiung aus der Armut bewährt. Mikroversicherungen sind eine Ergänzung dazu. Sie helfen vor allem in Entwicklungsländern einkommensschwachen Menschen bei größeren und kleineren Notlagen und verhindern insbesondere den Rückfall in die Armut.

Where aid and development projects are concerned, success and failure go hand in hand. Although success depends on a great many factors, projects are almost certain to fail if the ownership element is lacking, or has not been clarified.  

Cartagena, Kolumbien. Mehr als 400 Experten und Praktiker aus 50 Ländern trafen sich am 5. November 2008, dem Eröffnungstag der 4. Internationalen Mikroversicherungs-Konferenz, in Cartagena, Kolumbien, um aktuelle Entwicklungen und kostengünstige Versicherungslösungen für die Armen der Welt zu diskutieren.

Environmentally forced migration can be seen as a failure of adaptation as well as a successful survival strategy for those who move. The lack of data and definitions makes it difficult for policy-makers to develop appropriate solutions. They need the support of sound research.

Moving “From Knowledge to Action”, the Munich Re Foundation carried out ten projects in its third year. Environmental change was the major focus of political and public discussions in 2007. The Munich Re Foundation has launched a new project addressing global justice issues in the light of climate change. Our environmental audit rounds off our review of 2007.

In recent decades, there has been a significant increase in flood disasters in many parts of the world, Mozambique being no exception. Efficient warning systems are a vital part of any viable prevention strategy. The Munich Re Foundation’s Mozambique flood-warning system project has been involved in setting up a simple but effective early-warning system along the River Búzi since 2005.

This volume has three sections. Chapters in the first section address general frameworks for thinking about social vulnerability to multiple stressors. The second section includes chapters that examine some of the factors that contribute to social vulnerability. This section features case studies of water scarcity in Cochabamba Bolivia, migration following Hurricane Katrina, and flood risk management in Mexico.  The third section of the volume looks at practical applications of research in social vulnerability.

This contribution views social vulnerability as social practise and human agency, where human livelihoods and human securities are constantly contested and fought over. It conceives vulnerability as embedded in social and environmental arenas, where human security, freedoms, and human rights are struggled for, negotiated, lost and won.

The pioneering work is bearing fruit: microinsurance is not just making headway, it is positively forging ahead in some regions. Slowly but surely, commercial providers are appearing on the scene – an indication of the potential. However, progress may falter without external support. 

From 21 to 23 November 2006, the Microinsurance Conference 2006 took place in Cape Town, South Africa. The Conference was jointly hosted by CGAP [Consultative Group to Assist the Poor] Working Group on Microinsurance and the Munich Re Foundation with the support of Finmark Trust. This event was a follow-up to the Microinsurance Conference 2005 that took place in Germany in October 2005.

Climate change will force more and more people to leave their homes as well as their traditional social and ecological environment. If we fail to counter this trend, millions of refugees from the regions under threat will set a huge wave of migration in motion.

Naturkatastrophen, insbesondere Wetterkatastrophen haben in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten dramatisch zugenommen, Der jüngste Bericht des UN-Weltklimarats IPCC, der 2007 veröffentlicht wurde, gibt keine Entwarnung.

Menneskeskabte klimaforandringer vil få kolossal indflydelse på det globale vandkredsløb og på vandrelaterede naturkatastrofer. Den følgende artikel opsummerer resultatet af et seminar om vand og klima-relaterede katastrofer, afholdt af Munich Re Foundation, et af verdens største forsikringsselskaber. Seminaret dandt sted under "the 2005 World Water Weeek" i Stockholm, hvor der blev fokuseret på de impolikationer, som en ændring af de naturlige vandkredsløb vil have for mennesker, miljøet og økonomien. Derudover gav seminaret et overblik over hvilke strategier der kan imødegå de forøgede risici specielt i udviklingslandene.

Enter the go!clean contest and win yourself some greenbacks! This invitation to participate in the "go!clean" schools competition was taken at face value by the prize-winning pupils presented at the awards ceremony on 1 June 2007. Among the fresh and successful business ideas were designer watches made of recycled material, sophisticated and highly accurate data loggers for measuring temperature and Stellar-Solar-AG, a company selling power collected on the school’s rooftops to the local municipal works.

Although launched by UNESCO only in 2005, the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which runs until 2014, has already yielded valuable impulses likely to last beyond the end of the decade and infl uence more than educational policy alone. The important topic of education for sustainability has thus been given extra weight and is generating ever greater interest.

Agricultural microinsurance in the context of this discussion paper involves the broad question of how low-income farmers close to or below the poverty level can be indemnified for agricultural losses due to severe weather conditions – regardless of the level of the insured (micro: individual; meso: community, farmer association, etc.; macro: national institution, government). In other words, it should be differentiated from the term “microinsurance” used purely to describe the level of the insured (individual).

Second Summer Academy on social vulnerability and megacities - A panel of internationally renowned experts met at Schloss Hohenkammer, Germany, from 22–28 July 2007 to discuss “Megacities: Social vulnerability and resilience building.”

Climate change leaves its deepest mark on the lives of the people least able to protect themselves. Accordingly, in recognition of its environmental responsibilities, the Munich Re Foundation is sponsoring a project in Eritrea to replace traditional clay stoves with new and more economical models as a way of offsetting unavoidable CO2 emissions. This not only saves energy but also brings a lasting improvement to the standard of living of the local population. 

In der Diskussion um den Klimawandel wird Nachhaltigkeit meist als ein Konzept verstanden, das in erster Linie auf Umweltaspekte abstellt. Diese isolitere Sichtweise greift zu kurz. Denn nur wenn so unterschiedliche Bereiche wie Ökologie, Ökonomie und gesellschaftliche Bedürfnisse einbezogen werden, kann der Klimawandel gebremst und können die Folgen von Wetterkatastrophen für die Betroffenen abgemildert werden.

Mumbai, India. 14 November 2007. More than 300 microinsurance experts and practitioners from over 50 countries met in Mumbai, India to discuss trends and recent developments in cost-effective insurance for the poor during the 3rd annual Microinsurance Conference from 13 to 15 November 2007.

With a concept of sustainability that combines environment, society and economy, the extent and consequences of natural catastrophes can be minimised for those affected.

The issue of climate change and justice is gaining in importance, as was illustrated by numerous debates during the 13th world climate summit in Bali. Members of our “climate change and justice” project organised a special side event on the subject during the 13th world climate summit.

Whilst it is the industrialised nations with their heavy use of resources that have the greatest impact on the global climate, it is the poorer countries of the world that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The inequity of this situation was highlighted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the Catholic relief agency Misereor and the Munich Re Foundation during a COP 13 side event at the Bali climate summit on Monday. 

The 2006 Report reviews the activities sponsored by the foundation in 2006 at a variety of different locations, including Mozambique, Eritrea and Tonga. It summarises international and national events organised by the foundation on the topics of microinsurance, social vulnerability and the risks of city life. Finally, the report gives details of projects involving schools in Germany.

In the "2005 report" you can find out about the foundation's work and the projects it supported during its first year in countries such as Mozambique and Eritrea. In addition, there are résumés of national and international events organised by the foundation on the topics of water, microinsurance and disaster awareness. The report also features articles on the foundation's strategy and investment policy. To complete the picture, there are interviews with well-known experts.

From 18 to 20 October 2005, the Munich Re Foundation held the Microinsurance Conference 2005 "Making Insurance Work for the Poor: Current Practices and Lessons Learnt". In cooperation with the CGAP [Consultative Group to Assist the Poor] Working Group on Microinsurance, around a hundred selected experts from international organisations, non-government organisations, development-aid organisations and the insurance industry discussed experiences and challenges of insuring people with low incomes.

From 18 to 20 October 2005, the Munich Re Foundation held the Microinsurance Conference 2005 "Making Insurance Work for the Poor: Current Practices and Lessons Learnt". In cooperation with the CGAP [Consultative Group to Assist the Poor] Working Group on Microinsurance, around a hundred selected experts from international organisations, non-government organisations, development-aid organisations and the insurance industry discussed experiences and challenges of insuring people with low incomes. This report summarizes the main findings of the first Microinsurance Conference.

This authoritative compendium brings together the latest thinking of leading academics, actuaries, and insurance and development professionals in the microinsurance field. The result is a practical, wide-ranging resource which provides the most thorough overview of the subject to date.

Mit Frühwarnsystemen lasen sich Ausmaß und Folgen von Naturkatastrophen vermindern. Entscheidend ist, dass die Warnungen auf die Menschen im Risiko zugeschnitten sind. 

Ausgestattet mit einem Kapital von 50 Millionen Euro hat die Münchener Rück Stiftung im April 2005 ihre Arbeit aufgenommen. In der Vermögensverwaltung agiert die dabei im Spannungsfeld zwischen Renditeerwartungen und dem Stiftungszweck. Der Aspekt der Nachhaltigkeit dient in diesem Zusammenhang nicht nur der Imagebildung, sondern ist wichtiger Bestandteil einer erfolgreichen Vermögensverwaltung.

Micro-finance is regarded as an important tool to reduce poverty. Experience shows that poor people are usually extremely vulnerable to disaster. Since there is a link between povery and vulnerability, there is consequently a link between micro-finance and vulnerability.

Munich Re Foundation grants prize for early-warning system – €50,000 for optimised storm-warning system in the Kingdom of Tonga.

New Breakthroughs in Extending Insurance to the Poor: 2nd International microinsurance conference and book launch a big success

Das Projekt „Klimaexpedition“ der Umwelt- und Entwicklungsorganisation Germanwatch holt tagesaktuelle Satellitenbilder von der Erde aus dem Weltall ins Klassenzimmer, um das Bewusstsein von Jugendlichen für den Klimawandel zu schärfen. Mit Unterstützung der Münchener Rück Stiftung macht das Bildungsprojekt nun an bayrischen Schulen Station.

First summer academy on social vulnerability and disasters: Knowledge about the relationship between people, resources, and natural hazards will determine the future. This prompted the United Nations University and the Munich Re Foundation to hold a summer academy on social vulnerability. The title was “Global water hotspots: Social vulnerability and resilience building.”

Mikroversicherungen bieten armen Menschen Schutz vor Risiken – etwa vor krankheitsverursachten Notlagen. Trotz verbreiteter Zweifel inder Fachwelt ist das selbst für Personen mit niedrigen und unregelmäßigen Einkommen möglich. Selbstredend gibt es spezifische Probleme, doch Fallstudien belegen, dass sie gelöst werden können.

Climate protection is an issue of global importance. Greater progress would already have been made had policy-makers paid more attention to the concerns of the financial sector from the start. Without public-private partnerships it will be impossible to rise to the major challenges of our time.

Microfinance is regarded as an important tool to reduce poverty and experience shows that poor people are usually extremely vulnerable to disasters. Since there is a link between poverty and vulnerability, there is consequently a link between microfinance and vulnerability. However, microfinance alone is not sufficient as a disaster reduction too; it needs to be supplemented by microinsurance.

To coincide with its 2005 company anniversary, Munich Re is setting up a foundation to help people in different risk situations. This is further proof that non-profit commitment at Munich Re not only ranks high but also looks back on a long tradition.

Risiken für Menschen zu erkennen und einzuordnen, ihnen vorzubeugen und Empfehlungen zu deren Bewältigung abzuleiten – das sind Aufgaben, die die Münchener Rück Stiftung und das GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit gleichermaßen beschäftigen. Zum Abschluss der Ausstellung „Chance : Risiko“, die die Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft vom 1. Juli bis zum 1. November 2005 im Haus der Kunst präsentiert hat, haben daher die Münchener Rück Stiftung und das GSF am 31. Oktober 2005 Vertreter aus Umwelt- und Gesundheitsbehörden von Stadt, Land und Kommune, aus Politik und Wirtschaft zu einer Podiumsdiskussion mit hochkarätigen Wissenschaftlern eingeladen.

"From Knowledge to Action" is a central objective of the newly created Munich Re Foundation, which went public on 7 April 2005. In an interview with Topics, the Chairman of Munich Re Foundation, Thomas Loster, comments on the foundation's basic themes, projects and organisation.

In den 125 Jahren seit ihrer Gründung hat die Münchener Rück eine enorme Expertise über globale Risiken aufgebaut. Doch das Wissen wird in erster Linie für geschäftliche Zwecke intern genutzt.

"From Knowledge to Action" – Under this motto Munich Re is intensifying its efforts on behalfof people who are insufficiently prepared for risks due to population development,urbanisation, water scarcity, and climate and environmental changes. And it is to this end thatMunich Reinsurance Company has set up the Munich Re Foundation with a capital of €50m.

The microinsurance sector plays a key role in the fight against poverty. This is the core message in the final statement of the International Microinsurance Conference „Making insurance work for the poor. Current practices and lessons learnt“, staged by the Munich Re Foundation and the initiative CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) at Hohenkammer from 18 to 20 October 2005.

International symposium held by the Munich Re Foundation agrees on the Hohekammer Charter, containing the ten most important challenges for optimising disaster prevention worldwide. 100 experts from all over the world call for extensive measures at the symposium "Worldwide disaster prevention - Awareness is the key".

2005 dreht sich in München alles ums Wasser – sowohl auf der Bundesgartenschau in München-Riem als auch bei verschiedenen Kunstinstallationen in der bayerischen Landeshauptstadt. Die Hypo-Kulturstiftung zeigt im Sommer 2005 (3. Juni bis 21. August) in ihrer renommierten Kunsthalle die interdisziplinäre Ausstellung „Mythos und Naturgewalt Wasser“. Die Münchener Rück Stiftung begleitet die Ausstellung gemeinsam mit der Hypo-Kulturstiftung ab Anfang Mai 2005.

Newly established Munich Re Foundation goes public: under the motto "FromKnowledge to Action", the idea is to provide support for people in risk situations. Thefoundation will devote itself to addressing major challenges – climate change,urbanisation, disaster prevention and poverty.

Jahr für Jahr ereignen sich weltweit Hunderte von Naturkatastrophen; die GeoRisikoForshung der Münchener Rück erfasst pro Jahr 600 bis 800 Elementarschadenereignisse rund um den Globus.