The Missing Meso-Level finance in disaster relief

When a hurricane barrels through the Caribbean, recovery doesn’t just depend on rebuilding homes and roads. It depends on whether farmers can afford to replace lost livestock, whether fishers can access damaged docks or launching areas, whether market vendors can access refrigeration to preserve perishable goods, and whether tourism workers can survive months while hotels remain closed. These are the people who keep food on our tables, keep goods moving, and sustain the local economy. Yet, when disasters strike, they are often the ones left waiting the longest for help.

Where governments and traditional insurance fall short

Governments do step in, of course. After major storms, ministries coordinate emergency aid, negotiate loans and restore infrastructure. But the Caribbean Policy Development Centre’s (CPDC) research highlights that governments are focused on the “big picture”. They fix roads, restore the power grid, and manage national relief. But they cannot meet the thousands of small, urgent needs of individual workers and households quickly enough. Things like restoring a farmer’s contaminated well, replacing a fisher’s equipment, or helping a vendor secure a new market permit can take too long to address.

Meanwhile, private insurers serve those who can afford policies, usually businesses with formal assets. For informal workers like farmers without land titles, fishers who can’t insure small boats, vendors without registered stalls, traditional insurance is simply out of reach. That leaves a huge gap when disaster strikes.

Meso-level CDRFI bridges the gap

This is where meso-level Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (CDRFI) becomes a bridge. It links the scale of government and insurance with the trust and reach of community organisations.

Here’s how it works:

• Community institutions, like cooperatives, credit unions and NGOs, act as the direct link to people on the ground. They know who is most vulnerable and are trusted by members.
• Financial tools, like parametric insurance and community savings funds, are pooled and managed through these groups, making payouts faster and fairer.
• Governments and private insurers provide the wider safety net and financial backing, ensuring that the system is sustainable and affordable.

Instead of operating separately, these three levels work together. Communities identify needs, governments reduce risk exposure through policy, and insurers provide capital. The result? Livelihoods are protected, and national budgets face less strain.

Consider this: CPDC’s research across five Caribbean countries found that 79 per cent of organisations serving vulnerable workers have no budget for disaster response. Without meso-level CDRFI, those organisations are stranded when disasters hit. With it, they can access financial resources, deliver support directly to members, and reduce the wait time between disaster and recovery.

This bridge also builds trust. Research confirms that credit unions and cooperatives hold the highest trust ratings in our communities. By placing them at the centre of disaster protection, meso-level CDRFI ensures that recovery is not just about money, but about fairness, transparency and local decision-making.

Building resilience for the future

In a time when climate risks are rising, the Caribbean needs real solutions that work for our people. Farmers, fishers, vendors and tourism workers need systems that connect them to wider resources while respecting the realities of informal work. Meso-level CDRFI is one way to strengthen that chain.

To understand how these bridges can transform disaster response in the region, explore the Risk Resilience Hub to learn more about meso-level CDRFI. Use it as a guide to strengthen your community’s resilience, contributing to a smarter, more connected Caribbean future.

Chalsey Gill Anthony is an environmental communicator – (on behalf of Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC)