The NATURANCE Innovation Lab led by CMCC designed a community-based parametric insurance product to support controlled flooding operations by water boards in Northern Italy’s Po River basin. The product would cover costs and liabilities incurred when water boards deliberately flood upstream rural land to protect downstream urban areas from more severe uncontrolled flooding.
Premiums would be financed through a proportional tribute collected from downstream beneficiaries based on existing classification plans. Land designated for controlled flooding would be converted to nature-based solutions, enhancing flood risk reduction and generating co-benefits. Next steps include additional stakeholder workshops, international applicability testing through Network Nature Labs funding, and potential pilot applications linked to reconstruction efforts in Emilia-Romagna.
