Risk REconsidered: a Swiss Re podcast

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Intro

In Swiss Re's inaugural podcast, we delve into the latest trends and challenges in the world of risk. The first series focuses on mitigating climate risk, exploring topics ranging from tornado chasing to the science behind natural disasters.

In this series, we will talk about some of the most pressing issues related to climate change and its impacts on our society, economy, and environment. We will also discuss how the insurance industry and other stakeholders can work together to reduce risks and increase the resilience of our communities.

Each episode offers unique insights from Swiss Re experts, along with guest speakers from various industries worldwide. Join us as we rethink risk and uncover new opportunities for innovation and resilience.

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Episode 6 Building sovereign disaster resilience

In the latest Risk REconsidered podcast, Swiss Re Public Sector Solutions’ Gerry Lemcke and Marina Oberholzer explore innovative risk-transfer solutions that can strengthen countries’ financial resilience to natural disasters.

They discuss the evolution of Public Sector Solutions and a growing toolbox that includes insurance-linked loans, which embed disaster protection into sovereign financing. When a qualifying disaster strikes, an insurer takes over loan payments, providing debt relief and freeing up public funds for recovery.

As Lemcke puts it: “We need more effective instruments in dealing with the debt burden following a natural disaster.”

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Expert perspectives Risk transfer to change the post-disaster trajectory

Natural disasters can quickly turn into financial crises, particularly for countries carrying sovereign debt. Insurance-linked loans can help change that trajectory by providing permanent debt-service relief and freeing up resources for immediate recovery.

Read the blog about Risk transfer to change the post-disaster trajectory

For more on how Swiss Re can address some of the issues raised in the episode, visit

Learn more about the global impact of natural catastrophes.

Discover Nat Cat sigma 1/2026

Library Additional episodes

  • Episode 5: Host Shari Elliker speaks with Balz Grollimund, Head of Catastrophe Perils at Swiss Re, about lessons from the 2011 Thailand floods and what they reveal about managing accumulated risk, supply-chain exposures and resilience to natural disasters.
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  • Episode 4: Above the waters: preparing for flood risk
    Host Shari Elliker speaks with Vineet Kumar of Swiss Re and Andrew Hall of the Insurance Council of Australia about shifting climate patterns, urbanisation and the mounting costs of extreme rainfall.
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  • Episode 3: Large loss events: designing for disaster
    Listen to Martin Bühler and Dr Anne Cope unpack the drivers of the Los Angeles wildfire losses and explore new research to strengthen home resilience.
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  • Episode 2: Eying hurricane damage: The real forces behind storm losses
    Listen to Matt, Phil and Syd discuss the role of hurricane forecasts for insurers and examine drivers of storm losses.
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  • Episode 1: Weathering the storm
    Listen to Elisabeth, Davide and Jana discuss all things severe convective storms.
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  • Swiss Re's Risk REconsidered Trailer
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for more insights and risk knowledge Mitigating climate risk

The effects of climate change and global warming are already evident and shaking up our risk landscape: warmer average temperatures, rising sea levels, melting ice caps, longer and more frequent heatwaves, erratic rainfall patterns and more weather extremes.

A most urgent question we need to ask is not only how to tackle climate change, but also how we can best adapt to a changing climate and avert the most damaging consequences – in short, how to mitigate climate risk.

Discover about Mitigating climate risk

Contact: Get in touch with our experts