Thought Leadership

By Min Hung Cheng 23 July 2026 When faced with a complex risk issue, we often say that we should “go back to first principles.”  It is easy to agree with this advice. It is much harder to practise.  Climate risk is rarely only a climate issue. It is also a health issue, an infrastructure […]

By Min Hung Cheng 21 April 2026 Across Asia, health is a central priority of many governments. Over the past decades, much effort has gone into expanding coverage, strengthening public health systems, and committing fiscal resources to healthcare. Universal or near-universal coverage has been achieved or is within reach in many jurisdictions, and insurance schemes

By Craig Thorburn 2 April 2026 Insurance is an important tool to address protection gaps. Consequently,  understanding who has insurance and who does not is central to this effort. Across many countries, individuals, families, businesses, and governments remain financially exposed to risks such as natural disasters, health shocks, and economic disruptions. Insurance plays an important

By Min Hung Cheng 12 March 2026 The risk landscape we face is becoming increasingly complex. Natural catastrophes are intensifying. Climate change is altering both physical and transition risks. Ageing populations are placing growing pressure on health and retirement systems. And events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated how rapidly shocks can cascade across

By Min Hung Cheng 13 August 2025 Parametric insurance, a relatively new insurance mechanism that pays out upon predefined events rather than actual assessed losses, has been garnering attention as a potentially transformative tool for risk management. However, industry discussions have highlighted several notable barriers: basis risk, regulatory uncertainty, consumer awareness challenges, and data scarcity.

By Min Hung Cheng 10 July 2025 In 2024, the Global Asia Insurance Partnership (GAIP) convened its inaugural GAIP Summit, with the support of the Insurance Development Forum. The summit was dedicated to addressing Asia's widening protection gaps. Over two days of insightful dialogues and intensive panel discussions, policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and academic experts

Video 1: Motivation for Action at the National Strategic Level https://youtu.be/Y8EbDEXN9l0 Video 2: The Need for an Integrated Approach https://youtu.be/TUnGDfV-g8M Video 3: An Overview of the Integrated Approach https://youtu.be/iOxqNV0-C2k Video 4: Understand and Quantify Key Risks, and Identifying Stakeholders https://youtu.be/ff8pJzKshN8 Video 5: Developing a Solutions Menu https://youtu.be/OXErhg0If78 Video 6: The Implementation Plan https://youtu.be/sDUyokF2V2Q   Catalysing

By Min Hung Cheng 5 May 2025 The March 28, 2025, earthquake that struck central Myanmar was one of the most devastating in the country's modern history. A 7.7-magnitude tremor shook the Sagaing Fault, flattening buildings across Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw, and surrounding regions. The number of casualties reported varies across sources, ranging from 3,770 fatalities

By Min Hung Cheng 27 January 2025 Blended finance is increasingly recognised as an effective mechanism to mobilise private sector capital for public good. However, the insurance sector's role in blended finance has remained limited, primarily as investors or insurers. Insurers contribute by providing coverage for assets or projects involved in blended finance transactions, enhancing

Estimates suggest that only 15% of Asian assets have appropriate coverage for disaster risks. How can these “protection gaps” be filled? Yoshihiro Kawai, Chair of Global Asia Insurance Partnership and Tetsushi Sonobe, Dean of ADBI discuss the issue and how a new joint project aims to increase risk resilience.