Wildfires represent a growing global challenge, exacerbated by climate change and increasing human encroachment into fire-prone areas. As the frequency and severity of wildfires escalate, the need for effective financial resilience mechanisms becomes critical. Insurance plays a pivotal role in enhancing financial resilience against climate-related disasters by providing the necessary financial resources for recovery and reconstruction. This PhD project aims to unravel the complex interplay between wildfire insurance, the structure and dynamics of insurance markets, regulatory practices, and the varying state traditions in managing and governing wildfire risks.

The key objectives of this project include conducting a comprehensive comparative analysis of how different countries approach wildfire insurance and risk governance. This analysis will delve into the variations in insurance products and coverage, understanding the role of private versus public insurance schemes, and analysing the regulatory frameworks governing wildfire insurance. The project will assess the impact of market structures on the availability and affordability of wildfire insurance, evaluating the influence of competition, market concentration, and state intervention, and exploring the relationship between insurance markets and policyholder behaviour. Furthermore, it will investigate how different state traditions in risk governance shape public perceptions on what for example insurance should cover and who should pay for it. The project combines theoretical approaches on risk governance with empirical work on different insurance markets in Europe and overseas. The project will likely require a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, utilising recent advances in automated document analysis, interviews with experts and stakeholders of private and public insurance and potentially statistical analysis.

Studentship Overview

The studentship will be supervised by Prof Henry Rothstein and Dr Viktor Roezer in the Department of Geography at King’s College London. Working at the interface between climate change, disaster risk and resilience, Dr Roezer’s research focuses on the economic impacts and the financing of losses and damages from climate-related hazards such as wildfires and the drivers and consequences for adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Prof Rothstein’s research focuses on international and sectoral comparative analysis of risk regulation and governance with particular interest in the role of different state traditions.

The student will be part of the Risk, Hazard & Society research group and Centre for Integrated Research in Risk & Resilience (CIRR) within the Department of Geography. The Department is home to around 120 PhD students and provides an exciting and supportive environment for students to take forward innovative research projects.

The student will be funded by the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society established in 2019. The Centre comprises social and natural scientists from Imperial College, King’s College London, Royal Holloway and University of Reading, working together to create a new, integrative science of wildfire. The student will therefore join a vibrant interdisciplinary research community with a common vision of producing evidence-based understanding of the human-fire nexus that can help inform policy and practice.

Person specification

The applicant will have a good undergraduate degree in geography or an allied field. They will either have, or be working towards, a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field. The successful candidate will preferably have experience in relation to insurance either through work experience or specialisation during their degrees. Experience in document analysis, expert interviews and possibly experience with statistical analysis is preferable and they would possibly have experience working with stakeholder and subject matter experts identify challenges and understand priorities. They will have experience of writing to a high standard, and a willingness to work in interdisciplinary teams with stakeholders and collaborators.

How to apply

Applicants should submit:

i) A CV (max 2 A4 sides), including details of two academic references;

ii) A cover letter outlining and demonstrating how their qualifications, experience, and interests make them suitable to pursue the research outlined above, including possible ideas for how they might focus the work on particular questions;

iii) Examples of written and/or technical work (e.g. previous dissertations or papers).

These should be sent by email to viktor.roezer@kcl.ac.uk by 11/11/2024 with “Wildfire insurance PhD” as the subject. Interviews will take place in late November 2024 with an expected start in January 2025 (though later start date may be possible). Please state your start date availability within your application.

For further information on the project, please contact Prof Henry Rothstein henry.rothstein@kcl.ac.uk