NU Online News Service, Sept. 20, 2:25 p.m. EDT

NEW YORK—With the global climate expected to rise 4 degrees Celsius rather than the projected 2, adaptation and resiliency are mandatory for the survival of vulnerable populations, according to experts here.

Without resiliency, the most vulnerable populations are subject to loss of crops and any assets accumulated with each and every disaster, say panelists at “Rethinking Resiliency: Innovative Solutions For Climate Adaptation,” part of Climate Week NYC.

Keynote speaker, Rebeca Grynspan, associate administrator, United Nations Development Program notes that while the initial estimate of a rise in temperature was 2 degrees, without a reduction in greenhouse gasses, temperatures could rise 4 degrees Celsius.

“We may have 150 months to dramatically change,” she says. “But even if the world stopped emissions, it would be unavoidable.”

Such a change in climate would impact food security, especially for lower latitude regions, she says, observing that the planet will see more extreme weather events.

What's more, developing countries will suffer disproportionately, she says, with countries in Africa and small islands especially at risk. The result would be famine, with crops damaged by drought and storms.

Micro-insurance is one strategy that could help populations in developing countries cope.

Anne Hastings, chief executive officer of Fonkoze Financial Services, says she has lived in Haiti for many years and has seen people facing significant, ongoing setbacks brought on by floods, earthquakes and other catastrophes.

“There is a chance they can climb out of poverty with the right tools,” Hastings says, giving the example of one woman, whom she witnessed three separate times climb out of poverty with the help of micro loans. When disaster hit, however, the most recent being the earthquake in Haiti, she again lost everything.

“I couldn't keep doing my work without a solution to help them protect their assets that they struggled so hard to accumulate in the first place,” she tells NU Online News Service.

After meeting with Swiss Re, she says, a system was put in place for those who had taken out micro loans—now 56,000 clients—to insure them in case of a disaster. Swiss Re, the reinsurer, pays when triggers such as so many inches of rain, or the wind blowing a certain speed, take place.

Hastings says those who receive a loan are required to pay a small amount, 3 percent of the loan value, for insurance.

She says that in June, Haiti had 10 days of rain which caused losses to homes or businesses of about 4,000 clients. Swiss Re, however, sent a check within 10 days and claims were paid. Because of this, she says, “We were able to get out there and get them back on the path.”

Anyone who had previously pushed back on having to buy insurance now saw the real value, she says.

The idea is to get people back on their feet as quickly as possible, Hastings says. Before the insurance plan was in place, it took months for donors to made decisions about reimbursing people and by then it was too late, she explains.

Michel Liès, chairman, Global Partnerships, with Swiss Re, also a panel member, tells NU Online News Service that there is strong interest in the insurance industry for such ventures. Micro insurance, he says, is an area with much potential.

He says that some governments also need to add insurance “to their toolkit, because very often they don't consider that insurance can be a solution.”

Liès notes that to be successful, a program like the one implemented in Haiti needs “government and people like Anne to make it happen.”

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