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Measuring the Impact of Insurance on Recovery after Extreme Weather Events Using Nightlights

Author

Listed:
  • Owen Sally

    (Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand)

  • Noy Ilan

    (Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand)

  • Pástor-Paz Jacob

    (Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand)

  • Fleming David

    (CSIRO, Brisbane, Australia)

Abstract

Climate change is predicted to make extreme weather events worse and more frequent in many places around the world. In New Zealand, the Earthquake Commission (EQC) was created to provide insurance for earthquakes. In some circumstances, however, homeowners affected by extreme weather events can also make claims to the EQC – for landslip, storm or flood events. In this paper, we explore the impact of this public natural hazard insurance on recovery from weather-related events. We do this by using a proxy for short-term economic recovery: satellite imagery of average monthly night-time radiance. Linking these night-time light data to precipitation data records, we compare areas which experienced damage from extreme rainfall episodes to those that suffered no damage even though they experienced extreme rainfall. Using data from three recent intense storms, we find that areas that experienced property damage, and were paid in a timely manner by EQC, did not fare any worse than areas that suffered no property damage but were exposed to these extreme precipitation events. This finding suggests that EQC insurance is serving its stated purpose by protecting claimants from the adverse impact of extreme weather events.

Suggested Citation

  • Owen Sally & Noy Ilan & Pástor-Paz Jacob & Fleming David, 2021. "Measuring the Impact of Insurance on Recovery after Extreme Weather Events Using Nightlights," Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, De Gruyter, vol. 15(2), pages 169-199, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:apjrin:v:15:y:2021:i:2:p:169-199:n:2
    DOI: 10.1515/apjri-2020-0036
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alejandro Valle & Robert J. R. Elliott & Eric Strobl & Meng Tong, 2018. "The Short-Term Economic Impact of Tropical Cyclones: Satellite Evidence from Guangdong Province," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 2(3), pages 225-235, October.
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    4. John Gibson & Susan Olivia & Geua Boe‐Gibson, 2020. "Night Lights In Economics: Sources And Uses," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 955-980, December.
    5. Juan Jose Miranda & Oscar A. Ishizawa & Hongrui Zhang, 2020. "Understanding the Impact Dynamics of Windstorms on Short-Term Economic Activity from Night Lights in Central America," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 657-698, October.
    6. Porntida Poontirakul & Charlotte Brown & Erica Seville & John Vargo & Ilan Noy, 2017. "Insurance as a Double-Edged Sword: Quantitative Evidence from the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 42(4), pages 609-632, October.
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    13. Gibson, John & Olivia, Susan & Boe-Gibson, Geua & Li, Chao, 2021. "Which night lights data should we use in economics, and where?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Cuong Nguyen & Ilan Noy & Dag Einar Sommervoll & Fang Yao, 2023. "Settling insurance claims with cash or repair and housing market recovery after an earthquake," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 117-134, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    extreme weather; insurance; recovery; night-lights; public insurance; climate change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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