On 10th of June 2024, 13:00-14:00 (GMT+1), Swenja Surminski will give a lecture titled “The role of insurance in adressing physical climate risks” at the My Climate Risk Interdisciplinary Learning Group of the Walker Institute. Surminski will present the findings of the chapter she authored in the “Handbook on the Economics of Disasters” which discusses concepts, terminologies, and experiences of how integrated solutions can be supported and facilitated by insurance in the context of risk transfer, investment, and risk analytics.

The growing number, intensity, and negative impacts of climate-related disasters and extreme events are challenging countries to manage impacts on the environment, society, and economies. In response to this rising issue, a string of recent global agreements set out to address the existing resilience gap faced globally by calling for increased investment in disaster resilience, enhanced adaptation to climate change, and preventing the creation of new risks. This goal requires a comprehensive, systems-thinking, and holistic approach that combines different tools and instruments. Insurance can play a role in filling this gap, supporting integrated approaches to disaster risk reduction (DRR), becoming a critical part of strengthening the implementation of disaster risk reduction.