On the demand for an insurance against storm damage in Swiss forests
Holthausen, N. | Baur, P.(Eidgenoessische Forschungsanstalt WSL, Birmensdorf (Switzerland))
Storms such as Lothar (1999) cause extensive windthrow in forests. In our study, we aimed to find out whether and under which conditions forest owners could be helped to recover from such natural events by having commercial insurance or by setting up a solidarity fund. We explored the general feasibility of such risk transfer and investigated the forest owners interest in forest insurance or a special fund. On the basis of a theoretical framework of risk management and of demand for insurance, we conducted two surveys: a) a representative standardised questionnaire survey of a random sample of forest ownersand b) interviews with experts from forestry, the forest administration authorities, the insurance industry and a fund for compensation of damage from natural hazards. The results show that few forest owners are interested in an insurance or a fund under present economic and legal circumstances. As main reasons we identified the hitherto disaster relief practice and the low economic importance of the forest for many forest owners. We conclude that, for the time being, insurance or a fund are not promising approaches. However, if public risk management strategies were changed, an insurance or fund could offer advantages, such as spreading the risk and reducing unexpected private and public costs.
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