This document discusses natural disaster insurance programs in China, including: 1) China has experimented with agricultural and home insurance programs for natural disasters, initially subsidized by government with limited liability. These programs have grown rapidly with government support through education and subsidies. 2) Proposals suggest developing a catastrophe insurance system led by government with fiscal support, risk sharing mechanisms, and starting with pilots rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. 3) Challenges include lack of clear authority over disaster risk financing and limited rural capacity. Suggestions are made to establish a coordinating commission and emphasize insurance as part of an integrated disaster reduction strategy.

1. Natural Disaster Insurance in China: Practice and Lessons Learned Ming Wang Associate Professor Beijing Normal University

2. Outline New Agriculture Insurance Program Experimentation of Catastrophe House Insurance Proposals of Catastrophe Insurance Challenges Identified and Suggestion

3. Integrated Disaster Reduction Strategy National Development and Reform Commission Office of Emergency Response, State Council China Insurance Regulatory Commission ? Ministry of Finance ? Ministry of Civil Affairs

4. History of Agriculture Insurance in China (1) (2) (3) 1950 1958 1982 2007

5. Understanding of the Four Principles “Guided by government” Initiated and launched under fiscal support Not policy-based insurance: limited liability and support; subsidize premium for policy-holders Risk is undertaken by insurance industry only “Market operation” Should not establish policy-based institution/company specifically for agriculture insurance Rely on existing commercial insurers “Voluntary participation” “Carried forward under joint forces” Central and local government Government and insurance industry Supporting institutions: meterological, water, agriculture..

6. Operational Model (2) >10% (1) Farmers Insurer at county level Government at county level <30% (5) (4) 35% 25% Insurer at province level Provincial government (3) 35% Central government Step(1): Farmers’ payment Step(2): Local government subsidy Step(3): Central government subsidy Step(4): Provincial government subsidy Step(5): Reserve 25% of premium

7. Details in Crops Insurance Policy (2007) Source: Peijun Shi et al.

8. Farmers knew the program?

9. How they knew it?

10. Quick Summary Too much government act Against market operation principle However, government helped to educate the market and subsidies are driving force for both insurers and farmers. Business grows rapidly.

11. Crops and livestock loss v.s. Insured Amount 381billion end of 2009 240billion end of 2008 < 30billion (before2007)

12. New progress in 2009 Experimentation of “market operation” on pig, forest and hybrid rice: insurers determine coverage, premium rate and limit. Establishing catastrophic disaster fund: government provide matching fund to the reserved premium, and set up an independent account managed by city government. In Hunan, subsidy for operating cost is approved at provincial government

13. Legal Basis for Catastrophe Insurance Flood Control Lawof The People‘s Republic of China (promulgated on August29, 1997) “Article 47 …The state encourages and supports flood insurance” Law of the People’s Republic of China on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters (promulgated on December 29, 1997) “Article 25 The state encourages units and individuals to participate earthquake disaster insurance” Modified in 2008, ““Article 45 The state develops the earthquake insurance system under the national fiscal support, and encourage ….” Emergency Response Law of the People's Republic of China (promulgated on August 30, 2007) Article 35 …The country is to establish a insurance system for large-scale disasters under the national fiscal support, and encourage units and individual citizens to participate the insurance program.

14. Farmers’ House Insurance for Natural Disasters Zhejiang province Voluntary participation Divided into two risk zones Basic premium RMB 10 or 15 per household Farmers pay RMB 3 to 5 Yuan, and option for full subsidy Max. indemnity RMB 3600 Yuan per dwelling, up to RMB 18,000 Yuan per household. Penetration rate: ~95% In 2007, premium collected 116 million Yuan, total indemnity 73.5 million Yuan (63.4%)

15. Farmers’ House Insurance for Natural Disasters Chenzhou city in Hunan province Mandatory participation Basic premium: 11 RMB Yuan in which 10 Yuan is for house coverage and 1 Yuan for post-disaster living cost coverage Full subsidy Max. indemnity 5000 Yuan for house and 1000 Yuan for living cost Penetration rate: ~96% In 2007, premium collected 9.69 million Yuan and indemnity 17.12 million Yuan (177%); in 2008, premium collected 9.33 million Yuan and indemnity 10.97 million Yuan (118%)

16. Proposal from Financial Committee of NPC, 2008 Market operation with government support (subsidy and tax benefit) Focus on residential houses and all-in-one policy Consider regional difference Start with experimentation Catastrophe insurance fund operated independently

17. Proposal Submitted to NCDR Led by government with fiscal support Compensation mechanism with clearly defined responsibility Meet fundamental need and consider regional difference Encourage international cooperation and risk sharing Start with experimentation with centralized budget (EQ)

18. Earthquake premium rate at county level There is a gap between people’s WTP and cost of risk financing, therefore subsidy is necessary.

19. Suggested Government Subsidy Percentages according to the Classification of Cities and Counties

20. EQ Micro Insurance Proposal Source: Risk Management Solutions Inc.

21. EQ Micro Insurance Proposal Average value of a rural house ~ 66,800 RMB Policy coverage Limit of 16,000 RMB Policy type – step policy (to minimize operational costs) Full limit (16,000 RMB) for a collapsed or red tagged (uninhabitable) house No payment for other levels of damage Individual annual premium = 10 RMB (affordability!) Total countrywide premium: 550 million RMB Claims and client services - insurance agencies and village organizations Source: Risk Management Solutions Inc.

22. Program Structure Source: Risk Management Solutions Inc.

23. Internal Project Conducted by Ministry of Finance Project title: Research on Institutional Design of Catastrophe Insurance. Framework of establishing catastrophe insurance system was completed. A symposium was held in November of 2009 (feedback collected).

24. How will the new program help commercial insurance market? How will the new program help low income population?

25. Challenges Identified Lack of a government authority whose role is clearly defined to deal with disaster risk financing Lack of risk sharing mechanism and government faces financial pressure Lack of clear definition of catastrophic disaster (or large-scale disaster) Most rural areas have limited capacity against disasters

26. Suggested Institutional Design Government, Insurers, Reinsurers and policy-holders adopt a risk sharing mechanism Establish a coordinating commission for catastrophe risk management Emphasize that catastrophe insurance is one of the components in integrated disaster reduction strategy. Start with one peril as experimentation

27. Thank you! Ming Wang wangming@ires.cn Beijing Normal University