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Measuring the impact of insurance on urban earthquake recovery using nightlights
[Simple diagnostic tests for spatial dependence]

Author

Listed:
  • Cuong Nhu Nguyen
  • Ilan Noy

Abstract

We measure the longer-term effect of a major earthquake on the local economy, using night-time light intensity, and focus on the role of insurance payments for damaged residential property in the recovery process. The destructive Canterbury Earthquake Sequence (2010–2011) in New Zealand is our case study. Uniquely, for this event, >95% of residential housing units were covered by insurance and almost all incurred some damage. However, insurance payments were staggered over 5 years, enabling us to identify their local impact on recovery. We find that night-time luminosity can capture the process of recovery; and that insurance payments contributed significantly to the process of local economic recovery after the earthquake. Cash settlement of claims was no more effective than insurance-managed repairs in generating local recovery. Notably, delayed payments were less affective in assisting recovery; this suggests an important role for the regulator in making sure insurance payments are made promptly after disaster events.

Suggested Citation

  • Cuong Nhu Nguyen & Ilan Noy, 2020. "Measuring the impact of insurance on urban earthquake recovery using nightlights [Simple diagnostic tests for spatial dependence]," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(3), pages 857-877.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:20:y:2020:i:3:p:857-877.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeg/lbz033
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. von Peter, Goetz & von Dahlen, Sebastian & Saxena, Sweta, 2024. "Unmitigated disasters? Risk sharing and macroeconomic recovery in a large international panel," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    2. Shapiro, Daniel & Oh, Chang Hoon & Zhang, Peng, 2023. "Nighttime lights data and their implications for IB research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    3. Kevin T. Smiley & Ilan Noy & Michael F. Wehner & Dave Frame & Christopher C. Sampson & Oliver E. J. Wing, 2022. "Social inequalities in climate change-attributed impacts of Hurricane Harvey," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Mohammad Reza Farzanegan & Sven Fischer, 2023. "The Impact of a Large-Scale Natural Disaster on Local Economic Activity: Evidence from the 2003 Bam Earthquake in Iran," CESifo Working Paper Series 10502, CESifo.
    5. Eberhard Feess & Cathrin Jordan & Ilan Noy, 2022. "Insurance for Catastrophes - Indemnity vs. Parametric Insurance with Imperfect Information," CESifo Working Paper Series 9631, CESifo.
    6. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Gröschl, Jasmin & Sanders, Mark & Schippers, Vincent & Steinwachs, Thomas, 2022. "The economic impact of weather anomalies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    7. van der Weide, Roy & Blankespoor, Brian & Elbers, Chris & Lanjouw, Peter, 2024. "How accurate is a poverty map based on remote sensing data? An application to Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    8. Susana Ferreira, 2024. "Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change: Economic Impacts and Adaptation Policies," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 16(1), pages 207-231, October.
    9. Joakim A. Weill, 2023. "Flood Risk Mapping and the Distributional Impacts of Climate Information," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-066, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    10. 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.
    11. Joakim Weill, 2023. "Flood Risk Mapping and the Distributional Impacts of Climate Information," Working Papers 2023.10, FAERE - French Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
    12. John Gibson & Yi Jiang & Xiaoxuan Zhang & Geua Boe-Gibson, 2024. "Are Disaster Impact Estimates Distorted by Errors in Popular Night-Time Lights Data?," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 391-416, November.
    13. Yonson, Rio & Noy, Ilan & Ivory, Vivienne C. & Bowie, Chris, 2020. "Earthquake-induced transportation disruption and economic performance: The experience of Christchurch, New Zealand," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    14. F. Marta L. Di Lascio & Ilan Noy & Selene Perazzini, 2022. "Modelling spatial correlation between earthquake insured losses in New Zealand: a mixed-effects analysis," BEMPS - Bozen Economics & Management Paper Series BEMPS98, Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen.
    15. 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.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earthquake; recovery; disaster; insurance; light;
    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
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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