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Can Financial Markets be Tapped to Help Poor People Cope with Weather Risks?

Author

Listed:
  • Jerry R. Skees
  • Panos Varangis
  • Donald F. Larson
  • Paul Siegel

Abstract

Poor households with little or no wealth are particularly vulnerable to risks that reduce incomes and increase expenditures. This book addresses many of the risk-coping strategies for the rural poor, with a focus on micro level and household actions. Largely, these discussions concern risks that can be shared within a community or extended family. While effective for independent risks, these strategies are rather ineffective for covariate or systemic risks. This paper focuses on private and public mechanisms for managing such covariate risk for natural disasters.

Suggested Citation

  • Jerry R. Skees & Panos Varangis & Donald F. Larson & Paul Siegel, 2002. "Can Financial Markets be Tapped to Help Poor People Cope with Weather Risks?," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-23, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:dp2002-23
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    References listed on IDEAS

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