The International Catastrophic Risks Forum

The 5-th edition of the International Catastrophe Risk Forum (ICAR Forum), the main European event dedicated to catastrophe risk, took place on October 14th, 2008, at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest and focused on the risk management in agriculture. 

The World Bank has been associated with the organization of all previous editions, since its beginning in 2004, as part of its support for development of a Catastrophic Risk Management Program in Romania.  The previous editions had, as main topics, management of catastrophe risks - earthquakes and floods – and introduction of mandatory insurance of households, substantively contributing to preparation of the Law on Mandatory Insurance of Households against Earthquakes, Floods and landslides, recently approved by the Romanian Parliament.

ICAR 2008 provided the attendees with a platform for open discussions on the insurance schemes and their potentially usefulness as tools for developing Romania's agriculture and transfer of its major financial risks.

Welcoming Remarks by Benoit Blarel - Country Manager Romania

The Agricultural Insurance – a Risk Management Tool - Remarks of Benoît Blarel, Country Manager in Romania at ICAR Forum 2008, Risk Management in Agriculture

Index-based Insurance of Weather Risk in Agriculture - Actual and Potential Applications  - Gabriel Ioniţă, Senior Agriculture and Irrigation Specialist ECSSD, Banca Mondială (in Romanian, .ppt file)