Swenja Surminski
Swenja is a Professor in Practice at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, part of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), overseeing social science research projects on climate adaptation, Loss and Damage of climate change, and disaster risk finance with a geographic scope ranging from the UK to developing countries. Swenja’s research is investigating climate risk management and resilience strategies focusing on public policies, financial instruments and individual behaviour through a mix of inter-disciplinary approaches, integrating concepts from geography, climate science, economics and governance studies:
- Principal Investigator for the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance (ZFRA) project, launching a new flood resilience research group.
- Co-PI for ‘GCRF Development Corridors Partnership project funded by Research Councils UK through the Global Challenges Research Fund. The project seeks to advance African and Chinese capacity to address development challenges through corridors in africa, investigating how those investment decisions can be more aligned with sustainable development goals and exploring the role of multi-sectoral partnerships in driving growth corridors.
- Case study lead ‘Uncertainty reduction in models for understanding development’ (UMFULA), part of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) Programme, jointly funded by the UK Department for International Development and the UK Natural Environment Research Council; investigating the role of climate data in decision-making in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.
- PI of the LSE IGA/Rockefeller project ‘ Evaluating the Resilience Impact of Climate Insurance (ERICI) – investigating insurance as a tool for financial and climate resilience. The project uses innovations in subjective measures to explore how climate insurance can improve resilience of the world’s poor.
She has published widely on these topics and is a contributing author to the IPCC and the EU Science for Disaster Risk Management Report. She is co-founder of the ‘Loss and Damage Network’–bringing together academics and practitioners working on the UNFCCC’s L&D work program. She works closely with industry and policy makers and was appointed Visiting Academic at the Bank of England in 2015 to work on the regulator’s first report on climate change (PDF). Swenja was selected lead author for the business and industry chapter of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment in 2017 and Lead Academic for a World Bank project on the benefits of Disaster Risk Management (DRM), working with the Overseas Development Institute to explore how the co-benefits of DRM measures can strengthen the economic case for investment (PDF). Swenja was the GRI-lead in the Costing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in Ireland project, in collaboration with University College Cork and funded by the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland. From 2012 – 2016 she was Principal Investigator for the EU’s FP7-project ENHANCE, conducting an analysis of disaster risk management partnerships across Europe and an investigation of the UK’s new Flood Re insurance arrangement.
Background
Prior to joining LSE in 2010 Swenja spent more than ten years in the insurance industry working on climate and risks management, including roles at Munich Re, Marsh Mc Lennon and the Association of British Insurers. Swenja was a Fulbright Scholar in the US, studying Ecological Economics and International Relations at the University of New Hampshire and received a PhD in Political Science from Hamburg University for her work on ‘Climate Change and the Insurance Industry’ in 2002.
Research interests
- Insurance of climate and disaster risks: governance, public-private partnerships and political processes
- The role of insurance in climate resilient development – measuring resilience impact, subjective resilience indicators
- Flood insurance in developed countries, emerging markets and the developing world;
- UNFCCC’s Loss and Damage policy area
- The benefits of disaster risk management
- Private sector adaptation
Research articles
- Can insurance catalyse government planning on climate? Emergent evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
22 Feb 2022. Swenja Surminski, Jon Barnes, Katharine Vincent - Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through development corridors in East Africa: A Q-Methodology approach to imagining development futures
24 Dec 2021. Kate Elizabeth Gannon, Declan Conway, Swenja Surminski - Supporting urban adaptation to climate change: What role can resilience measurement tools play?
4 Dec 2021. Sara Mehryar, Idan Sasson, Swenja Surminski - Current and future flood risk of new build homes across different socio-economic neighbourhoods in England and Wales
1 Mar 2021. Viktor Rözer, Swenja Surminski - Promoting flood risk reduction: The role of insurance in Germany and England
5 Oct 2017. Swenja Surminski - Insurance, public assistance and household flood risk reduction: a comparative study of Austria, England and Romania
4 Sep 2017. Swenja Surminski - Assessing surface water flood risk and management strategies under future climate change: insights from an agent-based model
28 Mar 2017. Swenja Surminski, Florence Crick - Investigating the risk reduction potential of disaster insurance across Europe
2 Dec 2016. Swenja Surminski - Forward-looking flood insurance? (Zukunftsorientierte Flutversicherung?)
14 Jun 2016. Swenja Surminski - Multinational and large national corporations and climate adaptation: are we asking the right questions? A review of current knowledge and a new research perspective
19 May 2016. Alina Averchenkova, Florence Crick, Adriana Kocornik-Mina, Hayley Leck, Swenja Surminski - You never adapt alone – the role of Multi-Sectoral Partnerships in addressing urban climate risks
24 Mar 2016. Swenja Surminski, Hayley Leck - How insurance can support climate resilience
24 Mar 2016. Swenja Surminski - Observations on the role of the private sector in the UNFCCC’s loss and damage of climate change work program
21 Sep 2015. Swenja Surminski, Jillian Eldridge - Brief Communication: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction – success or warning sign for Paris?
16 Jun 2015. Swenja Surminski - Reflections on the current debate on how to link flood insurance and disaster risk reduction in the European Union
27 Apr 2015. Swenja Surminski - Book review |Climate Shock: The economic consequences of a hotter planet, by Gernot Wagner and Martin L. Weitzman
26 Mar 2015. Swenja Surminski - The Role of Insurance in Reducing Direct Risk – The Case of Flood Insurance
18 Dec 2014. Swenja Surminski - Flood insurance in England – An assessment of the current and newly proposed insurance scheme in the context of rising flood risk
18 Nov 2014. Swenja Surminski, Jillian Eldridge - The concept of loss and damage of climate change – a new challenge for climate decision-making? A climate science perspective
4 Aug 2014. Swenja Surminski - Managing unnatural disaster risk from climate extremes
26 Mar 2014. Swenja Surminski - Policy indexes as tools for decision makers – the case of climate policy
23 Jan 2014. Swenja Surminski - Private-sector adaptation to climate risk
21 Oct 2013. Swenja Surminski - Flood insurance schemes and climate adaptation in developing countries
21 Oct 2013. Swenja Surminski - Natural catastrophe insurance in China: policy and regulatory drivers for the agricultural and the property sectors
26 May 2013. Swenja Surminski - The role of insurance risk transfer in encouraging climate investment in developing countries
26 Mar 2013. Swenja Surminski - Flutversicherung – Wie der Staat und die Versicherer zusammenkommen können
21 Mar 2013. Swenja Surminski - A preliminary assessment of the impact of climate change on non-life insurance demand in the BRICS economies
21 Mar 2013. Swenja Surminski
Books
- Realising the ‘triple dividend of resilience’ – A new business case for disaster risk management
1 Mar 2016
Working papers
- Investigating flood resilience perceptions and supporting collective decision-making through fuzzy cognitive mapping
11 Dec 2021 - The risk of corporate lock-in to future physical climate risks: the case of flood risk in England and Wales
22 Nov 2021 - Supporting urban adaptation to climate change: what role can resilience measurement tools play?
16 Jul 2021 - Multiple resilience dividends at the community level: A comparative study on disaster risk reduction interventions in different countries
22 Apr 2021 - Imaginaries of development corridors: Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through development corridors in East Africa
12 Dec 2020 - New build homes, flood resilience and environmental justice – current and future trends under climate change across England and Wales
3 Nov 2020 - Climate and disaster risk insurance in low income countries: Reflections on the importance of indicators and frameworks for monitoring performance and impact
7 Sep 2020 - Designing a funding framework for the slow-onset impacts of climate change: insights from recent experiences with planned relocation
18 Aug 2020 - Insurance and financial services across developing countries: an empirical study of coverage and demand
8 Apr 2020 - The role of national laws in managing flood risk and increasing future flood resilience
9 Mar 2020 - Understanding decisions and disasters: A retrospective analysis of Hurricane Sandy’s ‘focusing power’ on climate change adaptation policy in New York City
18 Nov 2019 - Insurance as a catalyst for using climate risk information for government planning and decision-making: A framework for analysing drivers and barriers, tested against evidence emerging from Sub-Saharan Africa
8 Oct 2019 - Strengthening insurance partnerships in the face of climate change – insights from an agent-based model of flood insurance in the UK
9 Jun 2016 - You never adapt alone – the role of Multi-Sectoral Partnerships in addressing urban climate risks
24 Mar 2016 - Assessing surface water flood risk and management strategies under future climate change: an agent-based model approach
8 Feb 2016 - Does it matter what you call it? Reflections on how companies voluntarily disclose their adaptation activities
30 Sep 2015 - Novel and improved insurance instruments for risk reduction
30 Mar 2015 - Multinational corporations and climate adaptation – Are we asking the right questions? A review of current knowledge and a new research perspective
11 Mar 2015 - Taking an organisational approach to private sector adaptation – the case of Tata Teleservices in India
5 Nov 2014 - Reflection on the current debate on how to link flood insurance and disaster risk reduction in the European Union
4 Aug 2014 - Flood insurance in England – an assessment of the current and newly proposed insurance scheme in the context of rising flood risk
1 Jan 2014 - Observations on the role of the private sector in the UNFCCC’s loss and damage of climate change work programme
1 Dec 2013 - Do flood insurance schemes in developing countries provide incentives to reduce physical risks?
1 Jul 2013 - The roles of public and private actors in the governance of adaptation: the case of agricultural insurance in India
1 Sep 2012 - Policy indexes – what do they tell us and what are their applications? The case of climate policy and business planning in emerging markets
1 Sep 2012 - A preliminary assessment of the impact of climate change on non-life insurance demand in the BRICS economies
1 Sep 2011
Policy publications
- Submission to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Call for Evidence on the International Development Strategy
Policy publications, 25 Nov 2021 - National laws and policies on climate change adaptation: a global review
Policy publications, 9 Dec 2019 - Submission to the Environment Agency’s consultation on the Draft National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England
Policy publications, 17 Oct 2019 - Addressing the impacts of climate change through an effective Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage
Policy publications, 16 Oct 2019 - Submission to Call for Evidence on Flooding and Coastal Erosion by Defra
Policy publications, 9 Oct 2019 - Disaster insurance in developing Asia: An analysis of market-based schemes
Policy publications, 1 Oct 2019 - Sustainability in the insurance industry: what role does it play for the “risk manager of society” (In German)
Policy publications, 7 Mar 2019 - Fit for the future – The reform of flood insurance in Ireland: resolving the data controversy and supporting climate adaptation
Policy publications, 8 May 2017 - What Can the United States Learn from the United Kingdom’s New Flood Reinsurance Pool?
Policy publications, 15 Feb 2017 - Science for Loss and Damage: Four research contributions to the debate
Policy publications, 7 Nov 2016 - Insurance instruments and disaster resilience in Europe – insights from the Enhance project
Policy publications, 30 Apr 2016 - Submission to the inquiry on ‘Future flood prevention’ by the House of Commons Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Policy publications, 24 Mar 2016 - Submission to the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage
Policy publications, 10 Mar 2016 - The triple dividend of resilience
Policy publications, 8 Dec 2015 - Evaluating the economics of climate risks and opportunities in the insurance sector
Policy publications, 10 Nov 2015 - The role of flood insurance in reducing direct risk
Policy publications, 15 Aug 2015 - Adaptation Planning and Implementation
Policy publications, 26 Apr 2014 - Flood insurance and the Water Bill
Policy publications, 14 Nov 2013 - Climate change and extreme weather events in developing countries. Future Risk: climate change and energy security – global challenges and implications
Policy publications, 26 Sep 2013 - Response to public consultation on ‘Securing the future availability and affordability of home insurance in areas of flood risk’
Policy publications, 1 Aug 2013 - Response to European Commission’s green paper on the insurance of natural and man-made disasters
Policy publications, 1 Jul 2013 - Disaster resilience and post-2015 development goals: the options for economics targets and indicators
Policy publications, 1 Apr 2013 - An Independent National Adaptation Programme for England
Policy publications, 1 Mar 2013 - Current knowledge on relevant methodologies and data requirements as well as lessons learned and gaps identified at different levels, in assessing the risk of loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change.
Policy publications, 26 Sep 2012 - Climate change, vulnerability and human mobility: perspectives of refugees from the East and Horn of Africa
Policy publications, 1 Jun 2012 - Expert meeting on assessing the risk of loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change
Policy publications, 10 May 2012 - Building effective and sustainable risk transfer initiatives in low- and middle-income economies: what can we learn from existing insurance schemes?
Policy publications, 1 Dec 2011 - Open questions about how to address ‘loss and damage’ from climate change in the most vulnerable countries: a response to the Cancún Adaptation Framework
Policy publications, 1 Jun 2011
- New Scientist Podcast: 4 March 2022 (on )
4 Mar 2022 - Climate change posing ‘existential threat to human civilisation’ and time is running out (on )
28 Feb 2022 - Flash floods: a grim reminder that adaptation is as important as reducing emissions
23 Jul 2021 - Addressing the impacts of climate change through an effective Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage
16 Oct 2019 - Insurers could find opportunities in preparing for disasters (on www.commercialriskonline.com)
30 Apr 2019 - Where next for sustainable insurance? Five priorities for the next decade
5 Nov 2018 - Building resilience to climate threats (on www.chemistryworld.com)
19 Sep 2018 - Homes could be priced out of flood cover (on www.independent.ie)
9 May 2017 - Infrastructure ‘still faces flood risk’ (on www.bbc.co.uk)
20 Jul 2016 - When disaster strikes, who pays for the impacts of climate change? (on blogs.lse.ac.uk)
7 Jun 2016 - Flood Re: a missed opportunity for sustainable flood risk management?
8 Apr 2016 - Taking a risk on the weather (on eprints.lse.ac.uk)
26 Feb 2016 - UK weather: Rising levels of surface water flooding put success of Flood Re insurance scheme at risk, warn academics (on www.cityam.com)
8 Feb 2016 - Flood Re will struggle to keep premiums low in the face of increased risk (on next.ft.com)
8 Feb 2016 - Taking a risk on the weather (on www.lse.ac.uk)
3 Feb 2016 - Investigating private sector adaptation to climate change: The case of Tata Teleservices (on blogs.lse.ac.uk)
21 Oct 2015 - Letters from Sendai – No 5: New disaster risk reduction framework agreed
20 Mar 2015 - Letters from Sendai: Agreeing a post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction
18 Mar 2015 - Letters from Sendai – No 4: Unlocking the ‘Triple Resilience Dividend’?
18 Mar 2015 - Letters from Sendai – No 3: Let’s do this together: The quest for private sector engagement
17 Mar 2015 - Letters from Sendai – No 2: Risk Assessment
17 Mar 2015 - Letters from Sendai – No 1: 2015: A pivotal year for global climate risk management?
14 Mar 2015 - Lima: a stronger role for climate risk management (on blog.iiasa.ac.at)
5 Dec 2014 - Flood risk and climate change implications for MSPs (on enhanceproject.eu)
15 May 2014 - Managing flood risk: Why flood insurance needs to send the right signals
14 Feb 2014 - The new flood insurance scheme will not cope with rising flood risk due to climate change and building in floodplains (on blogs.lse.ac.uk)
20 Sep 2013 - Climate change in India: what role for insurance and the private sector?
18 Jul 2012 - Extreme measures
26 Jan 2012