Nationale-Nederlanden and University of Amsterdam launch flood risk research initiative

Our Dutch non-life insurance business and the Amsterdam School of Economics at the University of Amsterdam have partnered to launch the Flood Insurance and Risk Management (FIRM) research initiative, which aims to better understand water-related risks, such as flooding and heavy rainfall. 

Through FIRM, researchers, financial institutions, water sector experts and the public sector will work together to develop new models and insights. The research will explore how climate-related risks evolve, how they can be assessed more accurately and how the financial sector can support effective climate adaptation. For example, certain flood models can sometimes overestimate risks, making them less suitable for use in financial models. 

Research findings will be made publicly available, enabling the wider financial and insurance sector to benefit from the results. 

Tjeerd Bosklopper, CEO Netherlands Non-life, Banking & Technology and member of the Management Board of NN Group, said: ‘When it comes to climate change, we can no longer rely solely on historical data. If we want to keep the Netherlands and Europe insurable, we need to invest in forward-looking approaches, prevention and cross-border collaboration across sectors.’ 

For NN, the initiative supports our ambition to help customers and communities become more resilient to climate-related risks.