Climate resilience in emerging markets and the power of data

Developing and emerging markets face unique vulnerabilities due to their economic, social, and environmental characteristics. Scaling up infrastructure investment is crucial to ensuring resilient development, effective capital allocation and economic stability, yet it is hindered by a lack of readily available climate data.

Comprehensive, reliable climate risk data is key to empowering stakeholders to make informed decisions. Governments can use it to develop long-term policies or strategies to mitigate risk and prioritize investment in climate-resilient infrastructure. Development organizations, like the World Bank, can leverage this data to design and implement projects that address the most pressing climate vulnerabilities. Private investors can gain crucial insights into physical risks such as flooding, helping them assess current exposure, allocate infrastructure funding, and anticipate future risk changes.

While the need for standardized climate risk data is widely acknowledged, historic datasets often lack consistency and comprehensiveness. Solutions like Fathom’s Global Flood Map and Climate Dynamics framework offer unique insights that go beyond historical trends and offer more granular insights around specific vulnerabilities within developing regions. Fathom’s research highlights the urgent need for action, with disadvantaged communities facing 10x more flood risk.

With better data we can help to reduce inequality, increase financial stability, and contribute to long-term climate and financial resilience. 

Starting at a macro level with the unique climate challenges faced by developing and emerging economies, and progressing to the key applications of climate risk data, this expert panel will examine ways in which 2024 can be a pivotal year for investing in transitioning markets. 

Post-event, Fathom will publish a short paper detailing the outcomes of the discussion.

In this one-hour webinar, panelists will discuss: 

1. The unique climate risk challenges faced by developing and emerging economies? How do these challenges manifest themselves? How can these economies become more climate resilient?
2. What is the state of public sector finance/investment? Is there a bigger role for central banks?
3. What changes are needed to unlock more private sector investment? What tools and information do private sector investors need to better understand and analyze risk?
4. How do we mobilize these tools to better serve transitioning economies?

New panelists to be confirmed shortly.