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Reflections on the current debate on how to link flood insurance and disaster risk reduction in the European Union

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Listed:
  • S. Surminski
  • J. Aerts
  • W. Botzen
  • P. Hudson
  • J. Mysiak
  • C. Pérez-Blanco
Abstract
Flood insurance differs widely in scope and form across Europe. Against the backdrop of rising flood losses, a debate about the role of EU policy in shaping the future of this compensation mechanism is led by policy-makers and industry. While the question of supply and demand is at the core of the debate, we argue that another key dimension is often overlooked: how to use insurance as a lever for risk reduction and prevention efforts. We investigate whether and how current EU policies influence flood insurance and how this interplays with the national policy level. First, we consider affordability, availability, and risk reduction linkages in an EU context, and then gather insights from two contrasting cases of flood insurance: the UK, where flood insurance provision is widely available, but subject to ongoing reform; and the Netherlands, where several efforts to introduce broader flood insurance coverage have failed. This is followed by an analysis of how EU policy could help address the challenges at member state level, based on a stakeholder workshop discussion. We conclude that there is wide agreement that a complete harmonization of flood insurance offering across the EU is unlikely to be effective. However, there is clear scope for EU policymakers to play a greater role in linking risk transfer and prevention, beyond existing channels, to ensure an integrated approach to flood risk management across the EU. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • S. Surminski & J. Aerts & W. Botzen & P. Hudson & J. Mysiak & C. Pérez-Blanco, 2015. "Reflections on the current debate on how to link flood insurance and disaster risk reduction in the European Union," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 79(3), pages 1451-1479, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:79:y:2015:i:3:p:1451-1479
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-015-1832-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter John Robinson & W. J. Wouter Botzen & Fujin Zhou, 2021. "An experimental study of charity hazard: The effect of risky and ambiguous government compensation on flood insurance demand," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 275-318, December.
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    3. Robinson, Peter John & Botzen, W. J. Wouter & Kunreuther, Howard & Chaudhry, Shereen J., 2021. "Default options and insurance demand," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 39-56.
    4. Ioannis Kougkoulos & Myriam Merad & Simon J. Cook & Ioannis Andredakis, 2021. "Floods in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and lessons for French flood risk governance," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 109(2), pages 1959-1980, November.
    5. Surminski, Swenja, 2014. "The role of insurance in reducing direct risk: the case of flood insurance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60764, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Michael G. Faure & Kristel De Smedt, 2019. "Compensation for victims of disasters: a task for Europe?," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(4), pages 732-759, October.
    7. Kalfin & Sukono & Sudradjat Supian & Mustafa Mamat, 2023. "Model for Determining Insurance Premiums Taking into Account the Rate of Economic Growth and Cross-Subsidies in Providing Natural Disaster Management Funds in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-15, December.
    8. Osberghaus, Daniel & Reif, Christiane, 2021. "How do different compensation schemes and loss experience affect insurance decisions? Experimental evidence from two independent and heterogeneous samples," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    9. Paul Hudson, 2020. "The Affordability of Flood Risk Property‐Level Adaptation Measures," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(6), pages 1151-1167, June.
    10. Unterberger, Christian & Hudson, Paul & Botzen, W.J. Wouter & Schroeer, Katharina & Steininger, Karl W., 2019. "Future Public Sector Flood Risk and Risk Sharing Arrangements: An Assessment for Austria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 153-163.
    11. Paul Hudson, 2018. "A comparison of definitions of affordability for flood risk adaption measures: a case study of current and future risk-based flood insurance premiums in Europe," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 1019-1038, October.
    12. Paul Hudson & Annegret H. Thieken, 2022. "The presence of moral hazard regarding flood insurance and German private businesses," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(2), pages 1295-1319, June.
    13. Swenja Surminski & Paul Hudson, 2017. "Investigating the Risk Reduction Potential of Disaster Insurance Across Europe," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 42(2), pages 247-274, April.
    14. Mol, Jantsje M. & Botzen, W. J. Wouter & Blasch, Julia E., 2020. "Risk reduction in compulsory disaster insurance: Experimental evidence on moral hazard and financial incentives," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    15. Toon Haer & W. J. Wouter Botzen & Hans de Moel & Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts, 2017. "Integrating Household Risk Mitigation Behavior in Flood Risk Analysis: An Agent‐Based Model Approach," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(10), pages 1977-1992, October.
    16. Agudo-Domínguez, Alberto & Pérez-Blanco, C. Dionisio & Gil-García, Laura & Ortega, José Antonio & Dasgupta, Shouro, 2022. "Climate-sensitive hydrological drought insurance for irrigated agriculture under deep uncertainty. Insightful results from the Cega River Basin in Spain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    17. Swenja Surminski & Paul Hudson & Jeroen Aerts & Wouter Botzen & M.Conceição Colaço & Florence Crick & Jill Eldridge & Anna Lorant & António Macedo & Reinhard Mechler & Carlos Neto & Robin Nicolai & Di, 2015. "Novel and improved insurance instruments for risk reduction," GRI Working Papers 188, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    18. Swenja Surminski, 2018. "Fit for Purpose and Fit for the Future? An Evaluation of the UK's New Flood Reinsurance Pool," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 21(1), pages 33-72, March.
    19. F. Luino & A. Belloni & L. Turconi & F. Faccini & A. Mantovani & P. Fassi & F. Marincioni & G. Caldiroli, 2018. "A historical geomorphological approach to flood hazard management along the shore of an alpine lake (northern Italy)," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 94(1), pages 471-488, October.
    20. Mol, Jantsje M. & Botzen, W.J. Wouter & Blasch, Julia E., 2020. "Behavioral motivations for self-insurance under different disaster risk insurance schemes," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 967-991.
    21. Hudson, Paul & Botzen, W.J. Wouter & Feyen, Luc & Aerts, Jeroen C.J.H., 2016. "Incentivising flood risk adaptation through risk based insurance premiums: Trade-offs between affordability and risk reduction," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 1-13.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Flood insurance; Flood risk management; Disaster risk reduction; Europe;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies

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