The Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) is a form of contingent financing offered by IBRD to help countries take a  proactive  stand  towards  reducing exposure to catastrophic risk and access funds immediately after a natural disaster. Costa Rica was the first country to sign a Cat DDO with the World Bank and subsequently drew down the loan after a natural disaster. The Cat DDO complements other financial instruments and disaster risk management measures in place in the country.