Disaster Risk Management Collaboration Puts EQC On The World Stage

The Earthquake Commission plays a prominent role in the global natural disaster insurance industry by sharing knowledge to reduce the impact of natural hazards on people and property.

EQC Chief Executive Tina Mitchell and Head of Risk Financing Scott McHardy attended a meeting of the World Forum of Catastrophe Programmes in February; it brings together similar insurance schemes from across the world to share experiences and build industry relationships.

Former EQC Chief Executive Sid Miller was also in attendance and gave an overview of the EQC scheme and the Natural Disaster Response Model (NDRM).

EQC is one of 14 organisations represented at the forum which meets regularly. It includes the United States of America, Canada, the Caribbean, Iceland, UK, Norway, France, Spain, Switzerland, Morocco, Turkey and Taiwan.

“New Zealand is not alone in living with the risk of sizeable natural hazards and collaboration on disaster risk management is critical,” McHardy says.

“We’re all working hard to build the relationships and systems we need – domestically and internationally,” says McHardy, who was particularly interested in his Spanish colleagues sharing their experiences dealing with the volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands.

“The long and slow lava flow they have been experiencing is a very realistic scenario for the Auckland Volcanic Field, so it is very important to learn from their response,” says McHardy.

“It’s really valuable for us to hear these global perspectives as everyone navigates challenges natural hazards create and the impact they have on people, including insured customers.

“Being part of this global forum means we’re going to better placed to respond when events happen in New Zealand, and we can also share our knowledge to help other countries

“We heard that our colleagues in Iceland were looking for good support mechanisms for the rural sector during major weather events, which New Zealand has seen quite a bit of in recent years. We connected them with experts from the Ministry for Primary Industries, who can provide valuable insights,” he says.

Mitchell says EQC has changed significantly over the past decade to become a modern, agile organisation, with world-leading expertise in insurance, finance, science, and customer service.

“Everything we do is centred on the customer - leveraging what we know about New Zealand’s natural hazards and international practice so we can help people recover when a natural disaster occurs.

“To be able to contribute our expertise on the global stage is a huge privilege,” Mitchell says.

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