Disaster-Resilient Microfinance: Learning from Communities Affected by Typhoon Haiyan

Microfinance is now an embedded feature of almost all low and middle income countries, inextricably linked to the development of local markets and economies. These countries are often the most exposed to extreme climate events and so one must ask: “Can microfinance improve its role before and after such disasters hit?”

This report sets out the experience, analysis and conclusions of VisionFund International and their Philippine microfinance operation Community Economic Ventures Incorporated (CEVI). This analysis follows the economic recovery of over 4,000 client households badly affected by typhoon Haiyan over the 18 months following the calamity, and seeks to derive recommendations for future financial disaster risk management solutions.