Nightmare for owners, scourge for insurers.
According to the latest estimates from France Assureurs, the main federation representing professionals in this field, the phenomenon of shrinkage-swelling of clays in Île-de-France – outside Paris – has already cost 1.9 billion euros between 1989 and 2019. , or 14% of the total cost in France.
"By 2050, this cost could be multiplied by three", also estimates the organization.
Among the most affected departments are Seine-et-Marne and Essonne, whose average annual costs amounted to 12.7 and 11.5 million euros.
Over the period 2020-2050, France Assureurs predicts that these figures will reach 44.4 and 37.7 million euros annually for these departments.
Along with Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne and Yvelines, they are part of “the 25 most affected departments in France, which account for nearly 75% of the cost of drought” according to insurers.
16,000 euros on average per claim
"Val-d'Oise and Hauts-de-Seine are relatively less affected with an average of 4 million euros and 5 million euros respectively in drought claims per year", further specifies the federation.
On a national scale, the cost of the drought over the period 1989-2019 is estimated at 13.8 billion euros and should reach 43 billion according to France Assureurs between 2020 and 2050. So inevitably, the problem of the shrinkage-swelling of clays — whose average cost per claim is 16,000 euros — is closely scrutinized by insurers.
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“Thanks to science and research, there are solutions opening up before us.
But we must always go further and further develop knowledge of the risks, the maps”, supports Florence Lustman, president of France Assureurs.
According to her, it is also necessary to “develop certification methods to be certain that the buildings constructed comply with current standards, to do more prevention at the local level”, to limit the additional cost of insurance premiums to a minimum.