Catastrophe Risk Management, An Insurance-Based Post-Disaster Recovery Plan

Earthquake hazard is considered as one of the main natural catastrophes to affect Iran. High severity and frequency of earthquake damage in developing countries exposed to seismic activity such as Iran is due to highly vulnerable built environment being close to seismic sources. A uilding stock with vulnerability which is improving with time can result in substantial portion of building stock with improved vulnerability. The majority of older buildings particularly in rural areas, however,had been built with no seismic standard and therefore are vulnerable to seismic motion. While retrofitting might be a practical solution for some important and engineering buildings, for the remaining ordinary residential building stock, it is neither practical nor economical to strengthen building structure using retrofitting approaches. The possibility of potential large damaging earthquakes and overall social, economical and political conditions of countries such as Iran highlight the importance of an effective post disaster recovery plan. This paper addresses the feasibility of an insurance-based recovery vehicle for natural catastrophe in Iran. This paper in particular investigates the need for creation of a World Bank sponsored National Catastrophe Insurance Pool for Iran. Computer risk modelling and its application in natural catastrophe risk management and in particular insurance and reinsurance industry is also briefly explained