Residential buildings should be better protected from climate risks after storm damage – insurance association

Climate resilience should be at the forefront of reconstruction and repair efforts of homes that have been damaged by storms, the General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV) said. In a set of guidelines, the GDV spells out advice on restoring residential buildings which have been damaged by storms in such a way that they are better protected from future climate risks. “We need to better protect existing buildings from the consequences of climate change because the risk of extreme weather events in Germany is increasing,” GDV deputy general manager, Anja Käfer-Rohrbach, said. The guide contains information on topics like selecting materials that are more resistant to water, or possible structural changes to make houses more resilient.

GDV said the guide should help increase the range of sustainable insurance products, though its use remains voluntary for their members. Käfer-Rohrbach suggests, for example, that policies for residential buildings could have more climate-friendly reconstruction agreed upon within the terms, or that the resistance of buildings to storms could play a greater role as a tariff feature. “In the long term, prevention definitely pays off,” she said.

Floods in Germany earlier this year led to a debate on nationwide mandatory insurance against natural hazards, something which chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to as “an important topic” in June. Natural hazard insurance would cover damage caused by events like floods, storms and landslides, against which 54 percent of households are currently insured. Insurers have in the past suggested that homes destroyed by floods shouldn’t be rebuilt in the same location.