Coastal communities and climate change

The case studies investigate the impact of sea level rises, the effect of wind speed on storm surges and changes in land use on a number of properties or areas. 

The four case studies are:

• An unprotected property on a Caribbean island.
• A building protected by flood defence on the coast of a northern European country.
• An unprotected property on the coast of a northern European country.
• A coastal city in Southeast Asia with no flood defences.

Coastal communities and climate change: maintaining insurability

Climate models clearly show that our weather patterns are changing and that as a result sea levels will rise.  Lloyd’s teamed up with Risk Management Solutions to look at how measures of defence against flooding could help to maintain the affordability and availability of insurance in the future.

The report looks at the impact of climate change at a number of coastal locations although the broad conclusions remain valid for all businesses in similar locations. 
Physical adaptation technologies

Physical adaptation options fall into three main options:

• Hard engineering such as sea walls.
• Elevating a property i.e. raising it on stilts.
• Changes to the characteristics of a property to make it more resistant to flooding.