Mapping Climate Services for Disaster Risk Management: A Systematic Review and Research Gaps from a Policy Process Perspective

Climate services (CS) are crucial for mitigating and managing the impacts and risks associated with climate-induced disasters. While evidence over the past decade underscores their effectiveness across various domains, particularly agriculture, to maximize their potential, it is crucial to identify emerging priority areas and existing research gaps for future research agendas. As a contribution to this effort, this paper employs the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology to review the state-of-the-art in the field of climate services for disaster risk management. A comprehensive search across five literature databases combined with a snowball search method using ResearchRabbit was conducted and yielded 242 peer-reviewed articles, book sections, and reports over 2013-2023 after the screening process. The analysis revealed flood, drought, and food insecurity as major climate-related disasters addressed in the reviewed literature. Major climate services addressed included early warning systems, (sub)seasonal forecasts and impact-based warnings. Grounded in the policy processes’ theoretical perspective, the main focus identified and discussed three prevailing policy-oriented priority areas: 1) development of climate services, 2) use-adoption-uptake, and 3) evaluation of climate services. In response to the limitations of the prevalent supply-driven and top-down approach to climate services promotion, co-production emerges as a cross-cutting critical aspect of the identified priority areas. Despite the extensive research in the field, more attention is needed, particularly pronounced in the science-policy interface perspective, which in practice bridges scientific knowledge and policy decisions for effective policy processes. This perspective offers a valuable analytical lens as an entry point for further investigation. Hence, future research agendas would generate insightful evidence by scrutinizing this critical aspect given its importance to institutions and climate services capacity, to better understand intricate facets of the development and the integration of climate services into disaster risk management.

Volcanic Risk Perception and Coping Strategies from Mounts Cameroon and Nyiragongo Eruptions, Central Africa: A Comparative Analysis

Approximately 2,000,000 people are exposed to volcanic risks in communities situated at the flanks of Mounts Cameroon (MC) and Nyiragongo (MN) volcanoes in Central Africa. This study therefore sought to investigate risk perception from four previous eruptions of MC, namely the 1959, 1982, 1999, and 2000 eruptions;and two previous eruptions of MN: 1977 and 2002. The study was initiated with co-design workshops held with major stakeholders in the cities of Buea and Goma at the flanks of MC and MN, respectively, in 2017, to develop the research objectives for the study. A non-random questionnaire survey was later conducted within 14 and 15 communities in Buea and Goma respectively, on the effects, perceived risks, and coping strategies for the chosen eruptions. Three age groups (18 - 30, 31 - 45 and >45 years) and gender (male and female) were considered. The population at the flanks of both volcanoes cited scientific and indigenous factors to be responsible for eruptions from these volcanoes. At MC and MN, ≥45% of the sampled participants (with a higher female population) perceived that the sampled eruptions posed a very high risk to the population. In terms of the effects, the age group of 18 - 30 was the least knowledgeable. In terms of direct effect on persons, over 90% of participants at MC and MN attested that they were overcome by fear/panic. On measures to cope with any likely eruption, the following order was established at the flanks of both volcanoes: sensitization of population, use of religious (prayers) and of traditional/indigenous strategies. In terms of future coping strategies, while the males at MC maintained sensitization as the favourite option, 62% of the males at MN opted for traditional/indigenous strategies. The female population at both MC and MN showed a higher preference for religious strategies like prayers.

Stock Volatility Increases the Mortality Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Suicide:A Case-Crossover Study of 12 Million Deaths

Stock volatility constitutes an adverse psychological stressor,but few large-scale studies have focused on its impact on major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)and suicide.Here,we conducted an individual-level time-stratified case-crossover study to explore the association of daily stock volatility(daily returns and intra-daily oscillations for three kinds of stock indices)with MACEs and suicide among more than 12 million individual decedents from all counties in the mainland of China between 2013 and 2019.For daily stock returns,both stock increases and decreases were associated with increased mortal-ity risks of all MACEs and suicide.There were consistent and positive associations between intra-daily stock oscillations and mortality due to MACEs and suicide.The excess mortality risks occurred at the cur-rent day(lag 0 d),persisted for two days,and were greatest for suicide and hemorrhagic stroke.Taking the present-day Shanghai and Shenzhen 300 Index as an example,a 1%decrease in daily returns was associated with 0.74%-1.04%and 1.77%increases in mortality risks of MACEs and suicide,respectively;the corresponding risk increments were 0.57%-0.85%and 0.92%for a 1%increase in daily returns and 0.67%-0.77%and 1.09%for a 1%increase in intra-daily stock oscillations.The excess risks were more pro-nounced among individuals aged 65-74 years,males,and those with lower education levels.Our findings revealed considerable health risks linked to sociopsychological stressors,which are helpful for the gov-ernment and general public to mitigate the immediate cardiovascular and mental health risks associated with stock market volatility.

Association of physical activity with risk of chronic kidney disease in China:A population-based cohort study

Background:Information on the association between physical activity(PA)and the risk of chronic kidney disease(CKD)is limited.We aimed to explore the associations of total,domain-specific,and intensity-specific PA with CKD and its subtypes in China.Methods:The study included 475,376 adults from the China Kadoorie Biobank aged 30-79 years during 2004-2008 at baseline.An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the information about PA,which was quantified as metabolic equivalent of task hours per day(MET-h/day)and categorized into 4 groups based on quartiles.Cox regression was used to analyze the association between PA and CKD risk.Results:During a median follow-up of 12.1 years,5415 incident CKD cases were documented,including 1159 incident diabetic kidney disease(DKD)cases and 362 incident hypertensive nephropathy(HTN)cases.Total PA was inversely associated with CKD risk,with an adjusted hazard ratio(HR,95%confidence interval(95%CI))of 0.83(0.75-0.92)for incident CKD in the highest quartile of total PA as compared with participants in the lowest quartile.Similar results were observed for risk of DKD and HTN,and the corresponding HRs(95%CIs)were 0.75(0.58-0.97)for DKD risk and 0.56(0.37-0.85)for HTN risk.Increased nonoccupational PA,low-intensity PA,and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA were significantly associated with a decreased risk of CKD,with HRs(95%CIs)of 0.80(0.73-0.88),0.85(0.77-0.94),and 0.85(0.76-0.95)in the highest quartile,respectively.Conclusion:PA,including nonoccupational PA,low-intensity PA,and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA,was inversely associated with the risk of CKD,including DKD,HTN,and other CKD,and such associations were dose dependent.

The Benefit Risk Assessment of Consumption of Marine Species Based on Benefit-Risk Analysis for Foods(BRAFO)-tiered Approach

Objective To assess the net health effect caused by the consumption of specific marine species based on Benefit-Risk Analysis for Foods （BRAFO）-tiered approach. Methods Twenty species were collected from the Zhoushan Archipelago, China. Concentrations of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, methyl mercury （MeHg）, and dioxin-like compounds （DLCs） in the samples were analyzed for benefit risk assessment based on BRAFO-tiered approach. Results Based on the BRAFO-tiered approach, reference scenario （no intake） and alternative scenario （intake of specific species of 200 g/week） were determined. The exposure to MeHg/DLCs via alternative scenario of all studied species did not exceed provisional tolerable weekly/monthly intake. However, the adult population with high DLCs exposure in China would significantly exceed the upper limit of DLCs via an additional alternative scenario of some species such as Auxis thazard. The results of deterministic computation showed that alternative scenario of all studied species generated clear net beneficial effects on death prevention and child IQ gain. Conclusion The alternative scenario of all studied species could be recommended to population with average DLCs exposure, and the reference scenario of species with relatively high DLCs concentration could be recommended to population exposed to high DLCs.

Risk assessment and ranking of pesticide residues in Chinese pears

The presence of pesticide residues in pears is a serious health concern. This study presents the results from a 2-year investigation （2013-2014） that used gas chromatography, GS/MS and UPLC/MS-MS to measure the levels of 104 pesti- cides in 310 pear samples. In 93.2% of the samples, 43 pesticides were detected, of which the maximum residue levels （MRLs） were exceeded in 2.6% of the samples. Multiple residues （two to eight compounds） were present in 69.7% of the samples; one sample contained nine pesticides and one sample contained 10. Only 6.8% of the samples did not contain residues. To assess the health risks, the pesticide residue data have been combined with daily pear consumption data for children and adult populations. A deterministic model was used to assess the chronic and acute exposures based on the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues （JMPR） method. A potential acute risk was demonstrated for children in the case of bifenthrin, which was found to be present at 105.36% of the acute reference dose （ARfD） value. The long- term exposure of the Chinese consumer to pesticide residues through the consumption of raw pears was far below the acceptable daily intake （ADI） criterion. Additionally, the matrix ranking scheme was used to classify risk subgroups of pesticides and pear samples. In general, 95.5% of samples were deemed to be safe and nine pesticides were classified as being of a relatively high risk. The findings indicated that the occurrence of pesticide residues in pears should not be considered a serious public health problem. Nevertheless, a more detailed study is required for vulnerable consumer groups, especially children. Continuous monitoring of pesticides in pears and tighter regulation of pesticide residue standards are recommended.

Ratio K: a New Way of Metering and Evaluating the Risk and Return of Stock Investment

Although widely used, both the Markowitz model and VAR (Value at Risk) model have some limitations in evaluating the risk and return of stock investment. By the analysis of the conceptions of risk and return, together with the three hypotheses of technological analysis, a novelty model of metering and evaluating the risk and return of stock investment is established. The major indicator of this model , risk-return ratio K, combines the characteristic indicators of risk and return. Regardless of the form of the risk-return probability density functions, this indicator K can always reflect the risk-return performances of the invested stocks clearly and accurately. How to use the model to make optimum investment and how to make portfolio combined with clustering analysis is also explained.

Association between Metal(loid)Exposure and Risk of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Mediated by Anti-Müllerian Hormone among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer

Objective To investigate the relationship and potential pathways between metal(loid)exposure and the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)in women of childbearing age.Methods This case-control study included 200 patients with PCOS(cases)and 896 non-PCOS controls with the age of 25-37 years.The concentrations of 29 metal(loid)s in the follicular fluid(FF)and clinical indicators in the serum were measured in all participants.Logistic regression analysis and mediation analysis were conducted to evaluate the associations between metal(loid)exposure and PCOS risk and investigate the possible roles of clinical indicators,respectively.Results Logistic regression analysis revealed an association between high copper levels in FF and increased PCOS risk(highest vs.lowest quartile:adjusted odds ratio=2.94,95%confidence interval:1.83-4.72).A high luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio and elevated levels of testosterone and anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)were strongly associated with increased PCOS risk induced by high copper exposure.The mediation analysis indicated a mediating effect of AMH in the association between copper exposure and PCOS risk.Conclusion Copper may affect PCOS risk through the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis,mediated by AMH.Copper exposure and internal AMH levels are important indicators for early warning of PCOS development.

A robust protocol to compute wind load coefficients of telecommunication towers and antennas using numerical simulation for risk and resilience assessment

An accurate estimation of wind loads on telecommunication towers is crucial for design,as well as for perform-ing reliability,resilience,and risk assessments.In particular,drag coefficient and interference factor are the most significant factors for wind load computations.Wind tunnel tests and computational fluid dynamics(CFD)are the most appropriate methods to estimate these parameters.While wind tunnel tests are generally preferred in practice,they require dedicated facilities and personnel,and can be expensive if multiple configurations of tower panels and antennas need to be tested under various wind directions(e.g.,fragility curve development for system resilience analysis).This paper provides a simple,robust,and easily accessible CFD protocol with widespread applicability,offering a practical solution in situations where wind tunnel testing is not feasible,such as complex tower configurations or cases where the cost of running experiments for all the tower-antennas configurations is prohibitively high.Different turbulence models,structural and fluid boundary conditions and mesh types are tested to provide a streamlined CFD modeling strategy that shows good convergence and balances accuracy,computational time,and robustness.The protocol is calibrated and validated with experimental studies available in the literature.To demonstrate the capabilities of the protocol,three lattice tower panels and antennas with different configurations are analyzed as examples.The protocol successfully estimates the drag and lateral wind loads and their coefficients under different wind directions.Noticeable differences are observed between the esti-mated wind loads with this protocol and those computed by a simple linear superposition used in most practical applications,indicating the importance of tower-antenna interaction.Also,as expected,the wind loads recom-mended by design codes overestimate the simulated results.More importantly,the telecommunication design codes inadequately identify the most favorable wind directions that are associated with the lowest wind loads,while the results of the proposed protocol align with observations from experimental studies.This information may be used to select the tower orientation before construction.The findings of this study are of importance for the telecommunication industry,which seeks reliable results with minimal computational efforts.In addition,it enhances the fragility analysis of telecommunication towers under strong winds,and the portfolio risk and resilience assessment of telecommunication systems.

Transport Risk Assessment for the Environment

Transport risk assessment for the environment has two important aspects--problem solving model and solution veracity. Problem solving model is larger understanding of tasks interconnection, which represents in itself partial solution of general risk assessment. Veracity of solution means how the results are consistent with the reality. By researching of both aspects, it rises many unanswered questions. It is concerned about verification and validation of risk assessment results. By risk assessment for the environment it is possible to meet wide variety of more or less good soluble problems. It exists simple problems based on risk assessment of common traffic accidents connected with service charge outflow. On the other site, it exists complex problems of risk assessment connected with dangerous goods transport by traffic or pipelines. By simple problems solving there are not many questions about risk assessment veracity. It is possible to determine traffic accidents frequencies and service charge outflows consequences on the basis of examined events in transportation with great veracity. By complex problems the situation is quite different. The frequencies of large accidents are very low but the consequences for the environment may be large. Both are encumbered by large level of uncertainty. That is why the question is rising. To what degree, it is in these cases correct to make decision based on risk assessment.

Simulation-based automatic generation of risk scenarios

A methodology for automatically generating risk scenarios is presented.Its main idea is to let the system model ＂express itself＂ through simulation.This is achieved by having the simulation model driven by an elaborated simulation engine,which：（i） manipulates the generation of branch points,i.e.event occurrence times;（ii） employs a depth-first systematic exploration strategy to cover all possible branch paths at each branch point.In addition,a backtracking technique,as an extension,is implemented to recover some missed risk scenarios.A widely discussed dynamic reliability example（a holdup tank） is used to aid in the explanation of and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Preliminary aquatic life criteria development and ecological risk assessment of ammonia in seven major river basins in China

Ammonia is one of the basin indices which are nation-controlled in the waterenvironmental management. In order to assess the differences of ammonia criteria indifferent basins, 7 major basins are used for the study object, including Songhua River,Liaohe River, Haihe River, Yellow River, Huaihe River, Yangtze River and ZhujiangRiver, referring the water environmental criteria technology of the United StatesEnvironmental Protection Agency, based on the effects of water characteristics on theecotoxicity of ammonia, and in summer and non-summer situation, aquatic life criteriais derived for ammonia. The results showed that: (a) The differences between thecriteria values in different basins and different seasons were significant. The differencesbetween the criteria values in different basins were greater than 6 times, while those indifferent seasons in the same basin were greater than 2 times. (b) The summer acuteand chronic criteria for Huaihe River were 0.37 mg/L and 0.06 mg/L while thenon-summer values were 0.81 mg/L and 0.15 mg/L. Both the summer and thenon-summer values were lowest in all of the seven basins. (c) The preliminaryassessment of Ammonia exposure ecological risk indicated that was the lowest inZhujiang River, and it was much lower in Songhua River, Liaohe River and YangtzeRiver, and was higher in Yellow River, and the highest in both Haihe River and HuaiheRiver. Haihe River has 7 sections while 2 in high risk, and Huaihe River has 27 sectionswhile sixteen in high risk. According to the differences of the criteria values for ammoniain seven basins in different seasons and difference of ammonia ecological riskassessment, it is suggested that it should be managed by different policies.

Global Aspects of Flood Risk Management

Various flood disasters in the last decade have confirmed that the risk from flooding has been increasing significantly worldwide. The driving factors for the risk are the unabated increase in global population, the concentration of people in high-risk areas such as coasts and flood plains, the rise in vulnerability of assets, infrastructure and social systems, and the consequences of climate change. Risk reduction is based on comprehensive risk management from identification of the hazard and assessing the risk to building defenses. To achieve this, general awareness at all levels in a society is key. It is not sufficient merely to be aware of the situation-findings must be acted upon with no significant delay. Flood-related computations have progressed considerably in recent years, but model results can only be as good as their input data. Modeling floods and flood losses is very complex, as model parameters are subject to change during an event and conditions sometimes greatly depend on small-scale factors.

Risk assessment of heavy metal contaminated soil in the vicinity of a lead/zinc mine

Heavy metal contamination of soils through anthropogenic activities is a widespread and serious problem confronting scientists and regulators throughout the world. In this study we investigated the distribution, chemical species and availability of lead, zinc, cadmium and copper in nine surface（0 to 20 cm） soils from near an abandoned lead/zinc mine tailings located in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China. Total heavy metal contents ranged from 5271 to 16369 mg/kg for Pb, 387 to 1221 mg/kg for Zn, 3.0 to 9.3 mg/kg for Cd and 65 to 206 mg/kg for Cu. In general, all heavy metals exceeded China National Standards for Soil Environmental Quality of Heavy Metals by a factor of 3-65 times. Comparison of the heavy metal concentrations（Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu） with clay content revealed a strongly significant relationship while significant relationship（ P 〈 0.001 ） was also obtained between Cd ＋ Zn and Pb ＋ Cu. Solid phase speciation of the soils using Tessier procedure showed that the heavy metals were distributed in the order： residual 〉〉 organically complexed-Fe-Mn oxides occluded 〉 carbonate bound 〉 exchangeable 〉 water soluble. In the organic matter fraction, the ratio of Pb（29.1% ） to its total concentration in the soils was higher than those of Zn（4.70% ）, Cd（3.16% ） and Cu（9.50% ）. The percentages of the water soluble and the exchangeable fractions of Pb（1.80% ） and Cd（2.74% ） were markedly greater than those of Zn（0.10% ） and Cu（0.15% ）, suggesting that Pb and Cd are relatively more mobile and hence more toxic in the contaminated soils. Strongly significant relationships between H20-Pb, H20-Zn and H20-Cu, strong positive correlations between H20-Pb, H20-Zn, H20-Cu and organic matter in soil were found. The content of H20-Pb, H20-Zn, H20-Cu was negatively correlated with pH values. The similar negative relationships between pH values and exchangeable heavy metals were also recorded. It is suggested that increasing soil pH or liming the soil could decrease bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil.

Research Progress in Occupational Health Risk Assessment Methods in China

Traditional occupational disease control and prevention has remained prevalent in China over recent decades. There are appropriately 30,000 new case reports of occupational diseases annually. Although China has already established a series of occupational disease prevention programs, occupational health risk assessment （OHRA） strategies continue to be a limitation.

Multi-mycotoxin exposure and risk assessments for Chinese consumption of nuts and dried fruits

In this study, 15 mycotoxins were detected in 233 nut and dried fruit samples from China. The 15 mycotoxins included aflatoxins （AFs： AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2）, trichothecene toxins （TCs： T-2, ZEA, ENA, ENA1, ENB, ENB1 and BEA）, Alternaria toxins （ATs： TEN, AOH and AME） and ochratoxin A （OTA）. The mycotoxins were detected in 47.6% of the samples and all 15 of the mycotoxins were found. Two samples were positive for AFB1 and exceeded the maximum tolerable levels allowed in China. The contamination levels of the mycotoxins found in nuts, dried jujubes, raisins, dried figs and dried Iongans were in the ranges of 0.1-462.7, 0.2-247.3, 0.8-10.1,0.2-384.1 and 0.1-89.2 μg kg^-1, respectively. Dried figs （80.0%） had the highest incidence of mycotoxins, followed by dried Iongans （60.0%）, dried jujubes （57.1%）, nuts （43.6%） and raisins （26.7%）. The estimated daily intake （EDI） values of each individual mycotoxin and all of the mycotoxins collectively were calculated by both the deterministic approach （DA） and the probability approach （PA）. For risk characterization, dietary exposure to TCs, ATs and OTA through consumption of nuts and dried fruits according to both approaches, showed no health risk to Chinese adults by exposure to either individual mycotoxins or in combination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work in which risk assessment of multimycotoxins is performed, specifically including the emerging ENNs and BEA, in nuts and dried fruits of China.

Risk Analysis of Sulfites Used as Food Additives in China

This study was to analyze the risk of sulfites in food consumed by the Chinese people and assess the health protection capability of maximum-permitted level （MPL） of sulfites in GB 2760-2011. Sulfites as food additives are overused or abused in many food categories. When the MPL in GB 2760-2011 was used as sulfites content in food, the intake of sulfites in most surveyed populations was lower than the acceptable daily intake （ADI）. Excess intake of sulfites was found in all the surveyed groups when a high percentile of sulfites in food was intaken. Moreover, children aged 1-6 years are at a high risk to intake excess sulfites. The primary cause for the excess intake of sulfites in Chinese people is the overuse and abuse of sulfites by the food industry. The current MPL of sulfites in GB 2760-2011 protects the health of most populations.

Risk Assessment of MOAH and MOSH in Infants and Young Children

Mineral oil hydrocarbons(MOH) in food may come from both contamination and various intentional uses in food production. MOH is widely used in food contact materials and food additives. It comprises complex mixtures, including straight and branched open-chain alkanes(paraffins), largely alkylated cycloalkanes(naphthenes).

Debris Flows Risk Analysis and Direct Loss Estimation:the Case Study of Valtellina di Tirano,Italy

andslide risk analysis is one of the primary studies providing essential instructions to the subsequent risk management process. The quantification of tangible and intangible potential losses is a critical step because it provides essential data upon which judgments can be made and policy can be formulated. This study aims at quantifying direct economic losses from debris flows at a medium scale in the study area in Italian Central Alps. Available hazard maps were the main inputs of this study. These maps were overlaid with information concerning elements at risk and their economic value. Then, a combination of both market and construction values was used to obtain estimates of future economic losses. As a result, two direct economic risk maps were prepared together with risk curves, useful to summarize expected monetary damage against the respective hazard probability. Afterwards, a qualitative risk map derived using a risk matrix officially provided by the set of laws issued by the regional government, was prepared. The results delimit areas of high economic as well as strategic importance which might be affected by debris flows in the future. Aside from limitations and inaccuracies inherently included in risk analysis process, identification of high risk areas allows local authorities to focus their attention on the “hot-spots”, where important consequences may arise and local （large） scale analysis needs to be performed with more precise cost-effectiveness ratio. The risk maps can be also used by the local authorities to increase population’s adaptive capacity in the disaster prevention process.

Evolution of seismic risk management for insurance over the past 30 years

During the past 30 years, there has been spectacular growth in the use of risk analysis and risk management tools developed by engineers in the financial and insurance sectors. The insurance, the reinsurance, and the investment banking sectors have enthusiastically adopted loss estimation tools developed by engineers in developing their business strategies and for managing their financial risks. As a result, insurance/reinsurance strategy has evolved as a major risk mitigation tool in managing catastrophe risk at the individual, corporate, and government level. This is particularly true in developed countries such as US, Western Europe, and Japan. Unfortunately, it has not received the needed attention in developing countries, where such a strategy for risk management is most needed. Fortunately, in the last five years, there has been excellent focus in developing ＂Insur Tech＂ tools to address the much needed ＂Insurance for the Masses＂, especially for the Asian Markets. In the earlier years of catastrophe model development, risk analysts were mainly concerned with risk reduction options through engineering strategies, and relatively little attention was given to financial and economic strategies. Such state-of-affairs still exists in many developing countries. The new developments in the science and technologies of loss estimation due to natural catastrophes have made it possible for financial sectors to model their business strategies such as peril and geographic diversification, premium calculations, reserve strategies, reinsurance contracts, and other underwriting tools. These developments have not only changed the way in which financial sectors assess and manage their risks, but have also changed the domain of opportunities for engineers and scientists.This paper will address the issues related to developing insurance/reinsurance strategies to mitigate catastrophe risks and describe the role catastrophe risk insurance and reinsurance has played in managing financial risk due to natural catastrophes. Historical losses and the share of those losses covered by insurance will be presented. How such risk sharing can help the nation share the burden of losses between tax paying public, the ＂at risk＂ property owners, the insurers and the reinsurers will be discussed. The paper will summarize the tools that are used by the insurance and reinsurance companies for estimating their future losses due to catastrophic natural events. The paper will also show how the results of loss estimation technologies developed by engineers are communicated to the business flow of insurance/reinsurance companies. Finally, to make it possible to grow ＂Insurance for the Masses - IFM＂, the role played by parametric insurance products and Insur Tech tools will be discussed.