Page 87 - revue RDV 2024 (15_04)

A R T I C L E S 87

Weathering the Storm;

A Comprehensive Approach to

Climate Risk in the Netherlands Photographe : Andre Muller

Shutterstock (Dutch Association of Insurers).

‘Climate change is impacting our planet. In a country like the damage. Taking on the challenges posed by climate change can
Netherlands, where the majority of the population resides below the only be successful with an integrated approach where citizens,
sea level, it should not come as a surprise that Insurers are worried governments and the insurance industry work together. As a sector Mr. Richard
about the consequences of climate change. Rising sea levels, but we are committed to play our part, but keeping all stakeholders on WEURDING
also extreme weather contribute to a higher risk of climate related the same page is a challenge which requires our constant attention.’ Director General

Says Richard Weurding Director General of the Dutch Association of Insurers. Dutch Association of
Insurers
At the moment In the Netherlands most natural hazards are covered periods of rain led to local flooding in parts of the country. In 2016 the
by insurance, except for flooding caused by failure of our primary flood south of the Netherlands faced a major hailstorm, causing the highest
defences, such as the sea and large rivers. This is too big of a risk to insured loss of a single event in the past decades in Netherlands. Due
carry for the Dutch market alone, therefore the industry is exploring the to climate change we expect that the severity of these events will only
possibilities of a public-private solution to address this protection gap. increase. This could ultimately lead to more climate related events
Insurers in the Netherlands already see the consequences of climate becoming uninsurable.
change in their daily operations. In 2022 our country faced one of the To counter this trend, we need a combination of increased awareness,
worst draughts in history. A year before, we have seen that prolonged adaptation and mitigation. Making our policyholders aware of the climate