Insurers will test new solutions to protect homes against the effects of drought

“With voluntary policyholders, it is a question of implementing prevention solutions and additional protection solutions to the repair methods recommended by the experts, the effects and evolution of which over time will be analyzed”, underline in a press release the France Assureurs federation, the public reinsurer CCR and the Natural Risks Mission, an association created by the insurance sector to study ways to deal with the effects of climate change.

In total, 300 houses will be part of the experiment: 200 which have already suffered damage and 100 others where the solutions will be applied for prevention.

The four families of techniques tested are the rehydration of soils during periods of drought, the protection of soils, in particular by waterproofing them with a geomembrane, the injection of products near the foundations to change the nature of the soils and the reinforcement of the foundations.

“A complete assessment will be carried out with annual progress reports in order to identify the most relevant measures over time to strengthen the resilience of individual houses”, specify the initiators of the project, which should cost 8,5 million euros. over the period.

Houses built on clay soils are at risk of cracks due to ground movements caused by alternating periods of rain and drought. This phenomenon is called shrinkage-swelling of clay soils (RGA).

“More than half of individual homes in France, or 11,1 million, would potentially be affected and 3,3 million of them would be significantly impacted,” insurers estimate.

In 2022, the cost of drought on homes has been estimated at more than 3 billion euros, a record since the creation of the “Natural Disasters” regime in 1982.

Above all, the bill has increased considerably on average in recent years and the trend is expected to continue, according to forecasts.