Risk Management in the Banking Sector During the COVID-19 Crisis: Challenges & Responses

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the banking sector worldwide, exposing vulnerabilities and leading to the collapse of major banks, such as Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic Bank, and Credit Suisse. Concerns about a potential systemic banking crisis have been sparked by the circumstance, which also emphasizes the necessity for risk management techniques to change with the times in order to handle key risks in the banking industry, such as credit, liquidity, market, and systemic risks. This study intends to look into how the COVID-19 epidemic affected risks in the banking industry and how banks responded. According to the findings, the pandemic has increased market, credit, and liquidity risk as well as systemic risk due to the interconnection of financial markets and institutions. To address these risks, banks have adopted various measures, such as increasing capital buffers, adjusting lending policies, and enhancing risk management systems. However, the study suggests that risk management tools need to evolve further, and banks need to develop proactive strategies to identify and mitigate potential risks before they become systemic. Banks can increase their resilience to upcoming crises and help to general financial stability by comprehending how the pandemic will affect various risks and implementing proactive risk management techniques.