As the world confronts overlapping crises — from escalating conflicts and climate disasters to demographic shifts and cyber threats — low-income communities and small enterprises are bearing the heaviest burden. At the end of April 2025, the number of people forcibly displaced by persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations reached a record 122.1 million people. Climate change and natural disasters alone could push an additional 132 million people into poverty by 2030.
Amid this uncertainty, one powerful solution remains vastly underutilized in building resilience: inclusive finance.
Evidence from around the world shows that access to, and usage of, digital payments, savings, credit, and insurance helps households and microenterprises unlock funds when physical cash is hard to access or liquidity is limited. These tools also enable them to better absorb losses and recover more quickly after disaster, as well as invest in income-generating opportunities and other adaptive tools.
About the author
Sophie Sirtaine
Sophie Sirtaine is the CEO of CGAP, an international partnership housed in the World Bank Group and dedicated to promoting inclusive financial ecosystems that enable a green, resilient, and equitable world for all. With over 20 years of experience in the World Bank, Sirtaine has held various positions, including as director of strategy and operations in the Independent Evaluation Group, and she led the World Bank’s banking sector crisis response in several EU countries during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.
