Policy Issues In Insurance Catastrophic Risks And Insurance

These conference proceedings present academic analysis, country reports, and financial/insurance company assessments on how to handle losses caused by large-scale catastrophes including terrorism and atmospheric perils.

This volume is the eighth of a series devoted to major policy issues in insurance, and sets out the proceedings of a conference, held in Paris in November 2004, to discuss options for dealing with losses caused by large-scale disasters. It contains a selection of papers and reports which focus on three key issues: the insurability of catastrophic risks; the extent to which financial markets can help address the risks of both natural disasters and terrorism; and the role of governments and public-private partnerships in the management of such risks.

Includes reports on initiatives to promote natural hazard awareness and disaster risk reduction education, the role of financial markets in financial mitigation of large-scale risks, mechanisms used to quantify catastrophe losses, and hazard risk mapping efforts in Southeast Asian countries.

Contains three reports focusing on different institutional approaches to the financial management of large-scale catastrophes, the role of risk mitigation and insurance in reducing the impact of natural disasters, and the importance of strategic leadership in the management of crises.

Includes reports on initiatives to promote natural hazard awareness and disaster risk reduction education, the role of financial markets in financial mitigation of large-scale risks, mechanisms used to quantify catastrophe losses, and hazard risk mapping efforts in Southeast Asian countries.

From the increasing incidence of environmental pollution and soil contamination, to recurring natural disasters, the risks posed by the constant interaction between human activities and the environment are diverse, manifold and often catastrophic in their consequences. Therefore, the elaboration of effective risk-management plans, aimed at formulating viable response strategies, requires the contribution of all the economic actors involved: private parties, financial institutions, governments and international organizations. This report focuses on the role of insurance and reinsurance companies in the management of environmental risks - environmental pollution risk and natural catastrophe risk in particular. It discusses the issue of insurability of such risks, analyses the increasing risk of liability for environmental pollution and the underlying trends in the development of environmental liability regimes in OECD countries. It also presents an overview of the various environmental pollution insurance products and techniques developed in response to legal and factual evolutions. In addition, it describes the special features of natural catastrophe risks, the role of traditional insurance markets in the coverage of such perils, and alternative options of coverage, from governmental disaster schemes to new financial market instruments.

Including the latest invaluable insights into catastrophe reinsurance, this book provides you with a wealth of risk management expertise gained from many of the largest catastrophe risk transfer programmes worldwide.

Contains three reports focusing on different institutional approaches to the financial management of large-scale catastrophes, the role of risk mitigation and insurance in reducing the impact of natural disasters, and the importance of strategic leadership in the management of crises.