Heat. Air Quality. Insurance Costs. An Indian Reality We Must Confront.
Reflecting on a recent article I read around on how global heatwaves, air pollution, extreme weather are no longer distant threats. They’re having real, measurable impacts on homes, health, and financial risk.
As an insurance broker, I believe it’s our duty to understand these changes, and help India stay resilient. Here’s what our sector should be really be thinking about:
What’s Changing, and Why It Matters
1. Rising temperatures and worsening air quality are more than environmental issues, they lead to greater health risks (respiratory, cardiovascular), increased mortality, and greater stress on medical systems.
2. Homes in many Indian cities are more exposed: ageing infrastructure, poor insulation or ventilation, and limited cooling systems magnify heat stress.
3. As insurers factoring in more frequent claims for heat damage, pollution-related losses, and weather disasters, premiums go up. That may make cover harder to access for many.
What the Insurance Industry Must Do
1. Embed Climate & Health Risk into Underwriting
We need granular data: mapping risk zones for heat, pollution, flood etc., and using that to price fairly. Homes in “hot-spots” may need additional risk mitigation built into policies.
2. Design Products that Pay for Prevention
Develop solutions that reward preventive measures, from cool roofing and air filtration to safer construction practices, where it is best to avoid the use of hazardous materials like asbestos. Parametric/trigger-based covers can also play a role, activating when thresholds such as heat index or AQI are breached.
3. Educate and Partner with Clients
Many customers are unaware of how indoor heat or local air quality can damage property, health, and finances. Brokers must become educators, helping people assess risk, explore mitigation, reduce exposure.
4.Collaborate with Regulators & Local Governments
Building codes, city planning, heat-mitigation infrastructure, pollution control, these are public goods that reduce risk for everyone. Working together can help reduce insurance risk, keep costs manageable, and make adaptation scalable.
Why This Is a Leadership Opportunity
India is uniquely placed. We have diverse climates, rapid urbanisation, and growing awareness. By acting now:
Build trust: clients will value brokers who anticipate change, offer stable, forward-looking solutions.
Drive innovation: those who develop climate-resilient products will lead, not lag, as regulation and customer expectations evolve.
The realities of climate change are here and so are opportunities: to protect, to innovate, to lead. Insurance isn’t just about recovering losses, it’s about building resilience and enabling safer, healthier lives.
#ClimateRisk #IndiaResilience #HealthAndClimate #RiskManagement
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