We developed an index-based solution with MHT to protect women workers against urban heat in India

Context

Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) is a grassroot development organization in India devoted to driving progress towards more sustainable and gender-inclusive cities.

80% of India’s workforce is informal, with poor women making up 90-92% of this figure. Increased frequency and severity of climate events such as heatwaves threaten their livelihoods.

The objective is to design locally relevant, pro-poor, gender-sensitive, index-based insurance products to protect against extreme heat and flooding.

Action

Supported by NDF TA funding, Global Parametrics (GP) partnered with MHT to develop the Climate Risk Insurance (CRI) programme to protect female microentrepreneurs against urban heat. GP’s activities include:

• Analyzing weather and socioeconomic data to support index design

• Developing excess heat and excess rainfall indices through a consultative process

• Engaging with a local insurer to offer the corresponding products

• Delivering training to credit cooperative and MHT staff in product dissemination and servicing

MHT simultaneously carried out activities to disseminate insurance products, raise awareness about CDRFI solutions, and provide trainings on risk, insurance and the CRI programme. Humanity Insured provided premium subsidy for this programme.