Beyond the Payout: Rethinking Disaster Risk Finance for Locally Led Adaptation

​Asia-Pacific faces a significant climate and disaster finance gap. Annual adaptation needs are estimated at USD 102-431 billion, compared with only about USD 34 billion in tracked flows. Locally led adaptation remains particularly underfunded, with just 17% of international public adaptation finance carrying a local focus.

​Convened by ADPC (Asian Disaster Preparedness Center) and MSC (MicroSave Consulting), this panel discussion will explore how disaster risk finance and innovative financing mechanisms can better reach communities, MSMEs, and other local actors, drawing on practical experience from ADPC and MSC.

​The dialogue will examine three interconnected questions:

• ​Moving disaster risk financing (DRF) upstream: How can disaster risk finance support adaptation and resilience before disasters occur?

• ​Scaling last-mile finance: How can parametric insurance, risk pooling, blended finance, and other mechanisms reach communities and MSMEs?

• ​Ensuring equitable outcomes: What policy and financing changes are needed to ensure vulnerable groups benefit?

​The roundtable will bring together multilateral development banks, national policymakers and disaster-management institutions, financial institutions, insurers and reinsurers, disaster-risk-finance and InsurTech practitioners, development partners, and community representatives.

​🗣️ Format: Panel Discussion
📅 Date: Monday, 5 October 2026
🕒 Time: 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM, Bangkok time (GMT+7)