Increasing number of forest fires due to extremely hot and dry weather in Turkey, drought caused by decreasing precipitation , etc. It shows that we are facing a dangerous disaster.
Although it is considered natural to see forest fires in summer , these events are now becoming more frequent and common around the world. This year's fire season in Turkey is more devastating than previous ones.
We see the effects of forest fires in our country and climate change on Southern European countries, and simultaneously read the news of fires in Greece, Italy and Spain.
We follow the fire news from many different parts of the world with concern. We are witnessing the loss of life with storms and floods that not only affect Turkey but also other countries .
We see that as climate change threatens the ecosystem, it also jeopardizes the jobs connected to this system. The risks and hazards associated with environmental degradation affect some sectors.
Insurance is one of the sectors directly exposed to climate change. The increase in risks with climate change makes it difficult for insurance companies to assess the risk of natural disasters.
As uninsured losses increase, some assets become uninsurable. For example; It becomes almost impossible to protect homes and other properties along the route of the fire, to withstand floods, storms, hail, dam overflows, rising sea levels.
Whether by the sea, in the forest or in the city, our homes are becoming more and more vulnerable to floods or forest fires.
With more frequent extreme weather events, insurance costs are increasing. This means higher premiums. One wonders how to calculate the probability of being affected by the disaster.
There is talk of high premium rates for high-risk areas. It's getting harder for everyone to cover these costs. As social risks increase and exposure to risks ceases to be individual, how the insurance industry distributes risks to society gains importance.
We understand from the developments that have taken place one after another that the insurance industry needs to inform its customers, raise awareness, encourage the transition from a high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy, and make it resistant to extreme weather events.
The industry has to innovate to meet the needs of individuals and businesses in mitigating the effects of climate change. In this way, although they cannot provide full protection for their customers, it is seen that they can close some gaps.
Unfortunately, as a country, we act with the acceptance of unchanging weather conditions. We do not take into account the variability, that is, the risk, and we do not accept this fact.
However, we are entering a period in which we will attach more importance to risk management and closely monitor risk transfer instruments such as insurance. We have to further evaluate the solutions for our possible losses.
The latest ILO report also warns us. According to the report, if there is a global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees, climate change is expected to cause $ 2.4 trillion in economic losses and 80 million job losses worldwide by 2030.
Unless the underlying causes are addressed, unless international institutions and organizations, governments, regional and local decision makers, NGOs, researchers come together in the fight, unless industrialists accept that climate-related changes have significant impacts for their businesses, extreme weather events will continue to challenge our lives.
0 Comments