Page 46 - The Insurance Times August 2025

the ILO's Social Finance Programme and the Grameen Crédit
Agricole Foundation (GCAF), formally launched a technical
assistance programme to integrate climate risk insurance
into its inclusive financial services. This initiative led to the
development and rollout of Cambodia's first-ever weather-
index microinsurance product for vegetable farmers in early
2024. The programme focuses on supporting low-income
households, women, smallholder farmers, and MSMEs
across 178 communes in Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, and
Battambang-provinces identified for their growing veg-
etable production and vulnerability to climate risks.

Strengthening sales and distribution channels for
broader reach
Utilizing digital technologies to enhance accessibility and
Picture : Chamroeun Microfinance Team - Farmers in efficiency in service delivery
Kampong Thom Province participate in an FGD facilitated
by Chamroeun Microfinance

The pilot was first implemented in Siem Reap and Kampong
Thom, where vegetable farming plays a vital economic and
nutritional role but is increasingly exposed to climate-in-
duced shocks. The development of the product followed a
rigorous, data-driven process, led by the ILO's Social Finance
Programme. A national feasibility study of Chamroeun's
credit portfolio revealed strong demand for insurance cov-
ering crops such as rice, cassava, maize, vegetables, and
cashew. This was further informed by structured focus group
discussions (FGDs) held across key provinces, capturing farm- Picture (Own) : Vegetable (brinjal) fields in Kandal Province,
ers' perspectives on risk exposure, product features, and Cambodia
coping strategies.
To build internal capacity, staff from Chamroeun and Prévoir
With technical guidance from the ILO and based on the fea- Micro Life Insurance Plc (Insurer) participated in intensive
sibility findings, the project was structured around four core training on product design, pricing, claims monitoring, and
pillars: operations. These were facilitated by experts from the ILO's
Developing robust climate risk models and innovative Social Finance Programme, Risk Shield Ltd., and other part-
weather-index insurance products ners. The programme also supported training on satellite
data analysis for monitoring rainfall and improving transpar-
Promoting customer literacy and awareness among
ency in claims management.
vulnerable farming households
The Insurance Times August 2025 41