Earthquake in Italy is insurable

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  • Earthquakes in Italy are insurable

Italy is a country with a high risk of natural disasters.  90% of 8100 Italian municipalities are exposed to risks from landslides, floods, earthquakes… 

In an instant, earthquake destroy homes, schools, churches, monuments, architectural and artistic heritage. It destroys any shelter, any security, any protection. And in a matter of seconds, apart from the physical damage, it permanently devastates the spirit.

How can we protect ourselves? How can we anticipate events? Natural disaster insurance allows for a more secure and swift recovery within the affected area, and it guarantees the direct support as well as automatic freeing up of funds, sometimes even within a few hours after a catastrophe, or during the emergency itself.

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How to protect the heritage of Italian churches

With some 25'600 parishes across the country, about 70% are insured only against fire and a select few have nat cat events coverage. Conferenza Episcopale Italiana (CEI), known as Italian Bishops Conference, decided to set up their own national scheme to protect churches in case of such events. With Swiss Re as a partner.

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L’Aquila 10 years on: Special feature for sigma No 2/2019

Starting in 2017, policy makers in Italy have introduced much needed incentives to encourage uptake of earthquake insurance and retrofitting to make buildings more earthquake resilient. Find out more.

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Earthquake 'shake vouchers'

'Shake vouchers' provide quick cash after an earthquake for policy holders to cover incidental losses and expenses. The policy complements property damage insurance by paying out a pre
determined cash amount, which will typically vary with the shake intensity felt at the policy holder's location.

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150 billion have been spent on reconstruction in the last 50 years

Italy is a country of natural disasters and is also among the least insured ones. Ten years after the earthquake in L'Aquila, it's time to sum it up. How much money has come out of the state budget and therefore from taxpayers' pockets? And how would the insurance intervention work instead? Find out here.

Discover 150 billion have been spent on reconstruction in the last 50 years