Parametric Earthquake Insurance

Earthquakes pose a significant challenge for corporations operating across diverse sectors in high-risk regions. Bespoke parametric solutions provide corporates and the public sector with newfound resilience, delivering fresh capacity and swift financial protection.

Addressing earthquake risk

In 2023 alone, the world witnessed several billion-dollar seismic events. Among them stood the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, ranking as one of the most catastrophic natural disasters of the past century and resulting in a staggering $92.4 billion in economic losses, with a mere 6 percent covered by insurance. 

In the aftermath of such disasters, companies operating in highly exposed regions across the world, such as Turkey, Mexico, Chile, California, can face an arduous insurance renewal process. These renewals are marked by tightened capacity and stricter underwriting guidelines, prompting the emergence of parametric products and multi-year structured solutions as a formidable option for risk mitigation.

Descartes’ parametric earthquake insurance provides highly in-demand insurance capacity by designing bespoke payout structures based on data and reporting from leading earthquake institutions. Our covers are flexible in their targeted approach, catering to single or multiple locations. The disbursal of parametric funds in the event of a payout enables mitigation of physical damage to assets or property, as well as addressing non-damage effects such as revenue loss incurred due to area closures. 

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earthquake damaging road and affecting supply chain
Step 1

Assess

We assess and evaluate the client’s earthquake risk exposure, leveraging our proprietary risk model.

Step 2

Customize

Design a customized cover, fit to the client's unique needs, in which payout structures are indexed according to earthquake intensity.

Step 3

Monitor

Upon policy inception, we monitor the insured's location for earthquakes to determine whether a qualifying earthquake has occurred.

Step 4

Payout

Insured client receives a payout within days of reporting a loss, accelerating financial recovery and reconstruction.

Our case studies are all over the world

Utilizing Machine Learning and real-time monitoring from satellite imagery & IoT, our state-of-the-art technology helps businesses bounce back faster against climate, cyber and other emerging risks.

  • Global Construction Earthquake Descartes’ Data Driven Solution Against Earthquake Risk See the case study
  • Asia Renewable Energy Earthquake Supporting Renewable Energy Projects Against Earthquake Risk See the case study
  • Oceania Construction Earthquake Parametric Earthquake Insurance for New Zealand See the case study

Our parametric approach to earthquake exposure

Supported by a specialized earthquake team of PHDs, natural risk modelers, and data science engineers, our earthquake risk model can evaluate the risk profile of each client, tailored to their distinct assets & location. With our proprietary model that gives us the most accurate view into a client’s exposure, we are able to offer valuable earthquake insurance capacity, even in highly exposed regions.  

Our parametric earthquake product caters to the diverse needs of our clients offering unique indices and payout structures based on magnitude, peak ground acceleration, modified mercalli intensity (MMI), and more. These parameters are designed to activate payments swiftly through real-time monitoring made possible by leading earthquake institutions such as the USGS. 

Our success story

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