Stemming a rising tide: how insurers can close the flood protection gap

Awareness and understanding of weather and climate risk has grown in recent decades with floods comprising an ever larger share of the total. While action is being taken, much work remains to establish a mindset focused on resilience.

Floods cost the global economy more than $82 billion in 2021. The size of the losses, the protection gap, and human devastation all underscore the importance of addressing flood risk. And, while insurance is a critical part of risk mitigation, it’s clear that risk transfer alone is insufficient to address the challenges ahead.
 
Produced in collaboration with the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), this report provides insights into the state of global flood risk and highlights how insurers are well-positioned to promote a broad resilience mindset focused on pre-emptive mitigation and rapid recovery. Insurers should focus efforts in three broad categories: