Bali, Indonesia | 18 March 2026 — The Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (SEADRIF) Insurance Company and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) on 9 March 2026 signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) in Bali, Indonesia. The agreement outlines a strategic collaboration to strengthen disaster impact reporting and support the development of scalable risk financing solutions that enhance preparedness for disasters affecting the region.
The MoI was signed during SEADRIF’s inaugural Knowledge Exchange Day, co-hosted by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia. The event convened over 70 participants from across ASEAN+3 and partner institutions, including representatives from governments, regional organizations, development partners, and insurance and reinsurance stakeholders working to strengthen disaster risk financing (DRF) and climate resilience in Southeast Asia.
Discussions during the day highlighted Indonesia’s progress in DRF initiatives, including its disaster fund, Pooling Fund Bencana, the country’s public asset insurance program, and ongoing work on catastrophe risk modeling and parametric insurance. Officials from Lao PDR and the Philippines shared lessons from implementing local and regional DRF solutions with SEADRIF. The program also included updates on SEADRIF’s evolving programs and initiatives.
The partnership between SEADRIF and the AHA Centre marks an important step toward operationalizing regional solutions that connect disaster response systems with financial protection. It paves the way for stronger reporting mechanisms that support consistent and quality-assured disaster impact information. Under the MoI, the two institutions will explore collaboration on a regional insurance solution that could support pre-arranged financing for rapid humanitarian response and recovery following natural disasters affecting ASEAN Member States.
Areas of intended cooperation include technical dialogue on DRF and its linkages with operational response under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER); use of historical disaster data to support insurance product design; and joint workshops and simulation exercises that connect disaster response operations with financial trigger mechanisms.
Mr. Benedikt Signer, Chief Executive Officer of SEADRIF Insurance Company, said: “Effective disaster risk financing starts with credible data. This partnership with the AHA Centre is a step to push further in reimagining how insurance solutions in ASEAN can directly build on governments' own data and be integrated with core response systems.”
Mr. Lee Yam Ming, Executive Director of the AHA Centre, said: “We believe in the importance of disaster risk financing as a complement to humanitarian response systems. By enhancing regional cooperation and improving disaster reporting systems, we can support more predictable and timely financing that enables faster assistance to communities affected by disasters across ASEAN.”
SEADRIF and the AHA Centre will assess feasibility, refine technical approaches, and explore joint solutions in line with their respective mandates.
About SEADRIF
The Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility (SEADRIF) is a regional platform that provides participating nations with advisory and financial services to increase preparedness, resilience, and cooperation in response to climate and disaster risks. SEADRIF is established and owned by ASEAN+3 countries, with financial support from the Governments of Japan and Singapore and technical support by the World Bank.
The SEADRIF Insurance Company is incorporated in Singapore and licensed as a general insurance company to offer financial solutions to member countries that provide protection against disasters and climate shocks. The SEADRIF Insurance Company closely collaborates with members to develop products that help governments better manage the costs when disasters hit.
For inquiries, please email: contact@seadrifinsurance.com.
For more information and updates, please visit: seadrif.org/the-seadrif-insurance-company/
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