The role of insurers in flood risk management revisited from a sustainability perspective

Floods are among the most frequent and severe natural hazards worldwide, with climate change increasing uncertainty. While the literature on flood risk management emphasizes proactive, resilience‐based approaches over traditional resistance‐ and recovery‐oriented strategies, the role of insurers beyond risk transfer remains underexplored. Our study addresses this gap through a systematic review of 309 academic papers contributing to extending the flood risk management cycle with additional dimensions. Furthermore, a content analysis of 25 sustainability reports from large P&C insurers reveals differences in focus, yet a broad engagement in most of the identified dimensions with activities such as early loss recovery services, “building back better” programs, public and policyholder education initiatives, and investments in nature‐based flood protection projects. Our findings suggest that a broadened flood risk management and sustainability perspective provides a valuable framework for insurers to shape their role in enhancing risk management and insurability in a multi‐stakeholder context.