Government Support to Agricultural Insurance

Government Support to Agricultural Insurance
Author: Olivier Mahul
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2010-03-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0821382195

Governments in developing countries have been increasingly involved in the support of agricultural (crop and livestock) insurance programs in recent years. In their attempts to design and implement agricultural insurance, they have sought technical and financial assistance from the international community and particularly from the World Bank. One of the recurrent requests from governments regards international experience with agricultural insurance, not only in developed countries, where in some cases agricultural insurance has been offered for more than a century, but also in middleand low-income countries. Governments are particularly interested in the technical, operational, financial, and institutional aspects of public support to agricultural insurance. 'Government Support to Agricultural Insurance' informs public and private decision makers involved in agricultural insurance about recent developments, with a particular focus on middle- and low-income countries. It presents an updated picture of the spectrum of institutional frameworks and experiences with agricultural insurance, ranging from countries in which the public sector provides no support to those in which governments heavily subsidize agricultural insurance. This analysis is based on a survey conducted by the World Bank s agricultural insurance team in 2008 in 65 developed and developing countries. Drawing on the survey results, the book identifies some key roles governments can play to support the development of sustainable, affordable, and cost-effective agricultural insurance programs.

Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa

Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change in Africa
Author: Cyndi Spindell Berck
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 403
Release: 2018-03-05
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1351369504

A changing climate is likely to have a drastic impact on crop yields in Africa. The purpose of this book is to document the effects of climate change on agriculture in Africa and to discuss strategies for adaptation to hotter weather and less predictable rainfall. These strategies include promoting opportunities for farmers to adopt technologies that produce optimal results in terms of crop yield and income under local agro-ecological and socioeconomic conditions. The focus is on sub-Saharan Africa, an area that is already affected by changing patterns of heat and rainfall. Because of the high prevalence of subsistence farming, food insecurity, and extreme poverty in this region, there is a great need for practical adaptation strategies. The book includes empirical research in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and other Sub-Saharan countries, and the conclusion summarizes policy-relevant findings from the chapters. It is aimed at advanced students, researchers, extension and development practitioners, and officials of government agencies, NGOs, and funding agencies. It also will provide supplementary reading for courses in environment and development and in agricultural economics.

Renewing Local Planning to Face Climate Change in the Tropics

Renewing Local Planning to Face Climate Change in the Tropics
Author: Maurizio Tiepolo
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 375
Release: 2017-07-05
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319590960

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book aims to inspire decision makers and practitioners to change their approach to climate planning in the tropics through the application of modern technologies for characterizing local climate and tracking vulnerability and risk, and using decision-making tools. Drawing on 16 case studies conducted mainly in the Caribbean, Central America, Western and Eastern Africa, and South East Asia it is shown how successful integration of traditional and modern knowledge can enhance disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change in the tropics. The case studies encompass both rural and urban settings and cover different scales: rural communities, cities, and regions. In addition, the book looks to the future of planning by addressing topics of major importance, including residual risk integration in local development plans, damage insurance and the potential role of climate vulnerability reduction credits. In many regions of the tropics, climate planning is growing but has still very low quality. This book identifies the weaknesses and proposes effective solutions.

Insurance Against Covariate Shocks

Insurance Against Covariate Shocks
Author: Harold Alderman
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2007
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0821370375

Uninsured risk had far-reaching consequences for rural growth as well as poverty reduction. A range of informal mechanisms to insure rural households against the impact of shocks, but they are a modest component of a risk layering strategy for well-off households and even less protective for low-income households. Formal insurance mechanisms have inherent market imperfections. State interventions to address these limitations have proven costly and generally are targeted poorly. Recent developments in microfinance as well as in insurance marketing have opened new possibilities for household risk reduction. Index insurance, such as weather indexing, addresses other inherent problems in insurance by using an indicator that is not affected by individual behaviour and may address monitoring costs and moral hazard. A number of innovations using index insurance are being tried currently in diverse settings ranging from India to Mongolia to Malawi. Marketing costs may limit the provision of such insurance to small farmers, but even in such cases microfinance institutes may serve as market intermediaries. Moreover, state and submational governments can use insurance to achieve countercyclical funding programs. In this vein, municipal governments in Mexico have used insurance to finance disaster contingency while the World Food Program has insured a portion of its emergency assistance to Ethiopia. Humanitarian organizations and NGOs may also seek insurance in this manner.

Weather Derivative Valuation

Weather Derivative Valuation
Author: Stephen Jewson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 393
Release: 2005-03-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1139444514

Originally published in 2005, Weather Derivative Valuation covers all the meteorological, statistical, financial and mathematical issues that arise in the pricing and risk management of weather derivatives. There are chapters on meteorological data and data cleaning, the modelling and pricing of single weather derivatives, the modelling and valuation of portfolios, the use of weather and seasonal forecasts in the pricing of weather derivatives, arbitrage pricing for weather derivatives, risk management, and the modelling of temperature, wind and precipitation. Specific issues covered in detail include the analysis of uncertainty in weather derivative pricing, time-series modelling of daily temperatures, the creation and use of probabilistic meteorological forecasts and the derivation of the weather derivative version of the Black-Scholes equation of mathematical finance. Written by consultants who work within the weather derivative industry, this book is packed with practical information and theoretical insight into the world of weather derivative pricing.

Papa Sartre

Papa Sartre
Author: بدر، علي
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 185
Release: 2009
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9774162986

After a failed study mission in France, Abd al-Rahman returns home to Iraq to launch an existentialist movement akin to that of his hero. Convinced that it falls upon him to introduce his country's intellectuals to Sartre's thought, he feels especially qualified by his physical resemblance to the philosopher (except for the crossed eyes) and by his marriage to Germaine, who he claims is the great man's cousin. Meanwhile, his wealth and family prestige guarantee him an idle life spent in drinking, debauchery, and frequenting a well-known nightclub. But is his suicide an act of philosophical despair, or a reaction to his friend's affair with Germaine? A biographer chosen by his presumed friends narrates the story of a somewhat bewildered young man who--like other members of his generation--was searching for a meaning to his life. This parody of the abuses and extravagances of pseudo-philosophers in the Baghdad of the sixties throws into relief the Iraqi intellectual and cultural life of the time and the reversal of fortune of some of Iraq's wealthy and powerful families.

Drought

Drought
Author: Ana Iglesias
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2018-11-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1119017203

Comprehensive coverage of understanding, prevention, and risk management of extreme drought events, with examples of approaches followed in water-stressed regions This book describes the progress made in our understanding of severe drought and explains how we can deal with—and even avoid—complete devastation brought on by such punishing events. It brings forward advanced knowledge on drought hazard analysis and management, particularly from EU-funded research projects, to assist in the development of the corresponding drought management plans. In addition, this book addresses issues of social vulnerability to drought and science-policy interfaces, which are important elements of drought management. Divided into three sections, this book covers the diagnosis of physical processes, historic drought and the trends in historic drought, and perspectives of future drought. It takes an academic approach to risk evaluation, including characterization of drought episodes, development of indicators of risk in hydrological and agricultural systems, and analysis of the role of socio-economic instruments for risk mitigation. It also discusses the interactions that have resulted in the complex institutional framework, and highlights the importance of stakeholder involvement and awareness building for successful drought management. In addition, Drought: Science and Policy features a collection of case studies that include the description of effective measures taken in the past. Addresses the growing issue of drought preparedness planning, monitoring, and mitigation Teaches methodologies and lessons focused on specific, drought-prone regions so the applications have more significance Provides examples of approaches followed in water-stressed regions (river basin and national scale) with drought analyses at the pan-European scale Drought: Science and Policy will be an invaluable reference for researchers and practitioners in the field as well as Masters students taking relevant courses in drought management and natural disaster management.

Farmers' Almanac 2008

Farmers' Almanac 2008
Author: Peter Geiger
Publisher: Geiger
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2007
Genre: Almanacs, American
ISBN: 9781928720096

The Farmers Almanac is an annual publication published every year since 1818. It is the only publication of its kind which generations of American families have come to trust. Its longevity speaks volumes about its content which informs, delights, and educates. Best known for its long-range weather predictions, the Farmers Almanac provides valuable information on gardening, cooking, fishing, and more.

Economic Impacts and Emergency Management of Disasters in China

Economic Impacts and Emergency Management of Disasters in China
Author: Xianhua Wu
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 700
Release: 2022-04-24
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9789811613210

This book uses cutting-edge methods, such as big data mining methods on social media, generalized difference in difference, inoperational input–output models, improved data envelopment analysis, improved computable general equilibrium and others to calculate the economic impacts of climate and environmental disasters on China. This book provides the ideas, methods and cases of the redistribution of air pollution emissions in China through evaluating the benefits of meteorological disaster services and meteorological financial insurance. Using big data resources and data mining methods, as well as econometric models, etc., this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the economic impact of disasters in China and studies China's counterpart aid policy and international aid policy for disasters. This book is an academic monograph devoted to the China’s case study. The intended readership includes academics, government officials, graduate students and people concerned about China.