Who pays for disasters and how? Setting the scene for research and action

The ANU Disaster Solutions Update and Roundtable 2024 highlighted the complex interplay between climate change, insurance costs, finance, and community resilience, with a focus on developing innovative solutions and fostering public-private collaboration to mitigate risks and protect vulnerable communities in Australia. However, the question of who ultimately pays for disaster resilience and how remains a complex and contentious issue that society must urgently grapple with as the impacts of climate change intensify.

To address this burning question the Roundtable had two main goals: to identify the key challenges regarding funding for resilience, recovery, and insurance for disaster events in Australia, and; discuss the research to address challenges in financing disaster resilience and providing insurance affordability.