Insuring for a changing climate: A review and reflection on CARE’s experience with microinsurance

The report reviews CARE’s experience with microinsurance through seven case study examples across its global programmes. Case studies presented cover climate risk insurance, such as livestock and crop insurance, but also other social microinsurance products that, whilst not categorised as “climate insurance,” provide relevant lessons. Case studies include: (1) CARE Kenya – micro health insurance; (2) CARE Kenya – index based livestock insurance; (3) CARE Ghana – micro funeral insurance; (4) CARE Bangladesh – health insurance; CARE India – a bundled insurance product for multiple risks; (6) CARE Nepal – crop, livestock and health insurance; and (7) CARE Tanzania – multi-peril crop insurance. Each case study presents an overview of the scheme, the project successes, challenges, lessons learned, and ‘big picture’ reflections. CARE’s experience with insurance covers varying risks, ecologies, and contexts. The case studies provide examples of schemes addressing climate and social risks, that have been standalone projects or part of a larger intervention, that have worked with both government and private sector schemes, and that have supported the design of new products or increased access to existing products.