Gatersleben (dpa/sa) – Saxony-Anhalt’s Environment Minister Armin Willingmann (SPD) is pushing for mandatory solidarity insurance against natural hazards. Due to progressive climate change, heavy rain, flooding and other weather hazards are becoming more common, Willingmann said at an information event in Gatersleben (Salzland district) on Monday evening. Currently, only every second building in the country is adequately insured against high water or flooding caused by heavy rain.
Victims are often left “on their own or are dependent on voluntary state aid,” said Willingmann. He is expecting a draft from the federal government on the design of solidarity insurance before the end of this year.
There is currently no compulsory insurance against natural hazards in Germany. In 2017, the conference of justice ministers expressed reservations. The justice ministers feared that such a duty could restrict fundamental rights.
At present, it is often difficult for homeowners, especially in risk areas, to voluntarily insure themselves against natural hazards, the minister explained. As early as 2015, various consumer advice centers came to the conclusion that some of the insurance premiums exceeded the financial possibilities of the owners. “We will only overcome this dilemma in the long term if we share the burden fairly on everyone’s shoulders and thereby achieve affordable insurance premiums across the board,” explained Willingmann.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the highest damage nationwide to date was caused by the flood disaster in south-west Germany last year. According to calculations by the federal government, the total amounted to 29.2 billion euros. A spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment explained that the 2013 Elbe flood caused damage of around two billion euros in Saxony-Anhalt alone.
