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To insure or not to insure? Analysis of foresters' willingness-to-pay for fire and storm insurance

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  • Sauter, Philipp A.
  • Möllmann, Torsten B.
  • Anastassiadis, Friederike
  • Mußhoff, Oliver
  • Möhring, Bernhard

Abstract

Natural catastrophes in forests have become more damaging in recent years and are expected to further increase according to climate change scenarios. Currently, governmental measures mostly focus on providing financial support, such as direct payments, to forest owners after disasters. However, in the light of more weather extremes, this could lead to a heavier financial burden for national budgets. Therefore, the current financial support system has to be reconsidered with regard to privatizing foresters' risks. Insurance could play a key role, but in many countries forests are rarely insured. In order to explain insurance coverage, we analyzed foresters' preferences regarding fire and storm insurance, which are expressed as their willingness-to-pay (WTP). Therefore, we measured the risk attitude and conducted a discrete choice experiment with 137 German foresters, using various policy and forest enterprise scenarios. Our results show that most foresters have a very low WTP for insurance, and individual risk attitude was not of significant influence. The WTP was higher for fire than for storm insurance, presumably due to liquidity preservation motives. Policy programs involving unconditional support after disaster reduced the WTP. Instead, subsidized insurance premiums increased the WTP and thus, should be considered to establish an efficient insurance market.

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  • Sauter, Philipp A. & Möllmann, Torsten B. & Anastassiadis, Friederike & Mußhoff, Oliver & Möhring, Bernhard, 2016. "To insure or not to insure? Analysis of foresters' willingness-to-pay for fire and storm insurance," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 78-89.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:73:y:2016:i:c:p:78-89
    DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2016.08.005
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    2. Feng, Xin & Dai, Yongwu, 2019. "An innovative type of forest insurance in China based on the robust approach," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 23-32.
    3. Julie Thomas & Marielle Brunette & Antoine Leblois, 2021. "Adapting forest management practices to climate change : Lessons from a survey of French private forest owners," Working Papers hal-03142772, HAL.
    4. Thomas, J. & Brunette, M. & Leblois, A., 2022. "The determinants of adapting forest management practices to climate change: Lessons from a survey of French private forest owners," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    5. Yiling Deng & Ian A. Munn & Haibo Yao, 2021. "Attributes‐based conjoint analysis of landowner preferences for standing timber insurance," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 24(4), pages 421-444, December.
    6. Bastit, Félix & Brunette, Marielle & Montagné-Huck, Claire, 2023. "Pests, wind and fire: A multi-hazard risk review for natural disturbances in forests," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    7. Cipollaro, Maria & Sacchelli, Sandro, 2018. "Demand and potential subsidy level for forest insurance market in Demand and potential subsidy level for forest insurance market in Italy," 2018 Seventh AIEAA Conference, June 14-15, Conegliano, Italy 275647, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).
    8. Félix Bastit & Marielle Brunette & Claire Montagne-Huck, 2021. "Earth, wind and fire: A multi-hazard risk review for natural disturbances in forests," Working Papers of BETA 2021-25, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    9. Ye Song & Hongjun Peng, 2019. "Strategies of Forestry Carbon Sink under Forest Insurance and Subsidies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-13, August.
    10. M. Brunette & S. Couture & J. Foncel & S. Garcia, 2020. "The decision to insure against forest fire risk: an econometric analysis combining hypothetical real data," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(1), pages 111-133, January.
    11. Michels, Marius & Wever, Hendrik & Musshoff, Oliver, 2023. "Drones take flight in forests: Uncovering the ‘tree’-mendous potential and ‘timber’-rific challenges for German forest managers by applying the technology acceptance model," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    12. Sauter, Philipp A. & Hermann, Daniel & Mußhoff, Oliver, 2018. "Are foresters really risk-averse? A multi-method analysis and a cross-occupational comparison," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 37-45.
    13. Sacchelli, Sandro & Cipollaro, Maria & Fabbrizzi, Sara, 2018. "A GIS-based model for multiscale forest insurance analysis: The Italian case study," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 106-118.
    14. Chun-Min Zhang, 2020. "Seismic risk-coping behavior in rural ethnic minority communities in Dali, China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 103(3), pages 3499-3522, September.

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