The World Bank catastrophe deferred drawdown option (Cat DDO) was designed to provide rapid post-disaster liquidity while supporting better fiscal preparedness. Despite its rapid uptake, empirical evidence on how it performs as a contingent financing tool has been limited. This evaluation examines a selection of similar closed projects through individual case studies, each tracing how a specific intervention contributed to observed outcomes. Findings feed into a broader cluster report analyzing patterns across cases to explain what works, for whom, and under what circumstances. The report applies a case-based causal approach across four countries that adopted a Cat DDO—the Philippines, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Romania, and Malawi—drawing on document review, interviews, and cross-case comparison to identify common patterns and context-specific differences.
