Experience climate change (english)

Experience climate change
Welcome to Munich Re’s Climate House
125 years
Preferred partner in risk
Innovation backed by experience
You have to go to extraordinary
lengths if you want to achieve
something new. You have to be
focused, consistent and faster
than others. This is exactly what
Munich Re is – and has been for
125 years.
Munich Re, Experience climate change
Dear Visitor,
The Climate House has just shown you the sort of damage that storms and
floods can cause. Last year alone, worldwide insured losses from natural catastrophes totalled €44bn, with weather-related occurrences accounting for 97% of
this figure. Natural catastrophes have increased significantly in recent years and
one reason for this increase is the phenomenon of man-made climate change.
Knowledge brings responsibility
Munich Re has been analysing natural catastrophes for over 30 years. We have
been investigating climate change and its consequences since the early 1980s.
With this vast experience at our disposal, we have a clear responsibility to share
our knowledge with the public. In this way, Munich Re can serve as a type of
“early-warning system” for society.
We need a change of perspective
The motto of the 2005 National Garden Festival is “a change of perspective”.
But in what way do we need a change of perspective? Here is an example: We
all know that people soon become drowsy and lethargic in an overheated room.
The problem is that, as this is a gradual process, the people actually in the room
do not realise that they need to open the window and let some air in. We only
notice just how hot and sticky a room is when we enter it from outside. We
therefore need a change of perspective, a new way of looking at things. Munich
Re is presenting its knowledge at the 2005 National Garden Festival in an “experience room” that will stimulate both your mind and your senses. The room
is full of surprising discoveries and will appeal to people of all ages.
We hope you enjoy your visit to the 2005 National Garden Festival.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Höppe
Head of Geo Risks Research at Munich Re
Munich Re, Experience climate change
Is there still hope for us?
Our climate is changing. The ten warmest years since records began in 1861
have all occurred since 1991. Extreme weather-related catastrophes are
increasing worldwide.
You have just experienced at first hand in the Climate House what our changing
climate is capable of. Is there still hope, we may wonder. It is safe to say that we all
contribute to climate change in one way or another. The more we know therefore,
the more chance we have of changing something.
Understanding risks
A spiral of narrow pathways lined with natural stone slabs leads you to the
inside of the “weather change” Cell Garden. Everything is shrouded in mist and
suddenly you find yourself in the middle of the world of weather change. But
what does climate change mean to us in our everyday lives? The Climate House
shows the consequences of climate change in impressive fashion. Here you can
experience a catastrophe scenario: water everywhere, the ravages of flooding
and the realisation that this could happen to your own home. As Munich Re is
increasingly confronted with such losses, we research the causes of natural
catastrophes and pass on our findings.
The impact of climate change can affect everyone.
Munich Re, Experience climate change
Knowledge is responsibility
Why is Munich Re so committed to sharing its
knowledge? It’s quite simple really: knowledge
is also responsibility. We invite you to witness
a mini tornado at first hand. Or you can explore
the causes and effects of climate change. But
there is much, much more. The Climate House
presents Munich Re’s activities in the field of
climate change in a fascinating audio-visual
display. There is much to discover. Do not let this
opportunity pass you by!
The tornado model shows how a
destructive twister develops.
Munich Re, Experience climate change
Do you enjoy making discoveries?
Then you have come to the right place with Munich Re. We bring knowledge to
life: not just here at the 2005 National Garden Festival but each and every day
of the year.
Winds of Change
A game of strategy and skill where the object
is to save the earth from being destroyed by
overheating? How? Stop climate change
through environmentally-aware development
and skilful negotiations. The key to winning this
game is communication with the other players
and joint action to put an end to climate change.
World of Natural Hazards
Welt der Naturgefahren | World of Natural Hazards
Version 2004
This CD-ROM is a geoscientific work of reference
for everyone who wants to know where natural
hazards occur and which locations are most at
risk. 100,000 copies are in circulation, making it
the most widely distributed media product in
Munich Re’s 125-year history.
WELTKARTE
GEO-SPECIALS
WORLD
GEO SPECIALS
M
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GRUNDLAGENINFORMATION
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MAP
GEO-SERVICES
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BASIC
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GEO SERVICES
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KATASTROPHENKATALOG
LÄNDERLEXIKON
INFORMATION
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CATASTROPHE
COUNTRY PROFILE
Münchener Rück
Munich Re Group
Storm warning
This brochure, published jointly by Munich Re
and the Deutsche Museum, provides all manner
of facts and analyses related to the subject of
climate change.
STORM WARNING
FACTS, RESEARCH, CONSEQUENCES
M
Münchener Rück
Munich Re Group
CATALOGUE
Munich Re, Experience climate change
Put together for you: Munich Re’s BUGA package
– “Winds of Change” climate game
– CD-ROM “World of Natural Hazards”
– “Storm warning” brochure
Munich Re’s BUGA package is available for purchase in the BUGA shop (south
entrance, west entrance and at the BUGA lake, near the HVB lake stage) at a
price of €24.90 and online at www.buga05-shop.de.
Weather catastrophes and climate change –
Is there still hope for us?
On 264 pages, 22 leading experts from the fields
of science, the economy and politics outline the
current state of knowledge in this field. They
discuss all aspects of climate change, its effects
on nature, people and the economy. The
German edition is available at bookshops
(ISBN-Nr.: 3-937624-80-5) at a price of €29.50.
The English edition will be available at the end
of 2005.
Would you like to know more?
Then take a look at Munich Re’s website. There is much to discover at
www.munichre.com. For example, click on the heading TOPICS & SOLUTIONS,
and then on Georisks in the drop-down menu, or on Geo Risks Research under
PUBLICATIONS.
Munich Re, Experience climate change
What does Munich Re do?
As you may have guessed, Munich Re is a reinsurance company. But what
exactly does a reinsurer do?
Just as you insure yourself against the financial consequences of an accident,
so too do insurance companies. For example, they will insure their own cover of
power plants, large passenger and cargo ships, international space projects or
simply the roof a family house. Naturally, insurers would have no difficulty in
settling a single claim for roof damage. But what about a hurricane that damages thousands of roofs? Coping with such losses would be difficult for a single
insurer and they consequently share their risks with reinsurers.
Munich Re – 125 years
In the world of reinsurance Munich Re is the international market leader and
has been insuring insurers the world over since 1880. To do this successfully,
we observe, analyse and evaluate all kinds of risks. We rely on our 125 years
of experience and on our experts who operate in around 160 countries and
represent over 80 specialist fields. We have in our ranks space engineers,
physicians, meteorologists and even a ship’s master. In fact, there is probably
no field of expertise in which we are not represented.
“Walking Man” by the American
artist Jonathan Borofsky in front
of Munich Re’s office building in
Leopoldstrasse, Munich.
Munich Re, Experience climate change
Take advantage of the knowledge of the world’s largest reinsurer
You, too, can benefit from Munich Re’s knowledge: for example through
NATHAN, the NATural Hazards Assessment Network. What does NATHAN do?
If you want to find out about natural hazards in a particular region of the world,
simply enter the name of the location you are looking for and you will receive all
the relevant information at the click of a mouse. The Country Profiles section
offers an overview of the geography, economy and natural hazards situation in
the countries listed.
NATHAN: Enquire about natural hazards and
catastrophes online, worldwide and interactively.
You can access NATHAN at www.munichre.com/nathan. The database bundles
the expertise of the Geo Risks Research team on global natural hazards and
catastrophes.
Munich Re, Experience climate change
What else does Munich Re do?
Munich Re is active in a whole range of different areas, from innovative insurance
solutions and knowledge transfer to interdisciplinary cooperation. Here are two
other examples of our activities:
Munich Re Foundation
Munich Re has been assuming responsibility for
125 years. And by establishing this foundation,
we have created the appropriate institutional
framework to continue in the same vein. “From
Knowledge to Action” – under this motto the
Munich Re Foundation is helping those people
who are inadequately prepared to cope with
risks relating to population development, urbanisation, water scarcity, and climate and environmental changes.
Munich Re
Foundation
From Knowledge
to Action
You can find further information on the Munich Re Foundation “From Knowledge to Action“ on the foundation’s website at www.munichre-foundation.org.
Exhibition CHANCE : RISIKO
Munich Re invites you to the exhibition
CHANCE : RISIKO at the Haus der Kunst, from
1 July to 1 November 2005 to mark Munich Re’s
125th anniversary. The exhibition takes you
through the ups and downs of your risk-taking
life. Risks enter our lives the day we are born,
accompany us in our decision to start a family,
and are still with us when we are old and grey.
You will learn to see safety and the lack of it as
two sides of one and the same coin. You will
discover the vulnerability of mighty systems and
realise that ignorance is sometimes more productive than knowledge. You have to live with
risk if you want to have a chance in life.
CHANCE : RISIKO – For a risk-taking culture. Haus der Kunst, Prinzregentenstrasse 1, 80538 München, Tel.: (0 89) 2 11 27-1 13. Further information can be
found at www.chancerisiko.de.
© 2005
Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft
Königinstrasse 107
80802 München
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 89/38 91-0
Fax: +49 (0) 89/39 90 56
http://www.munichre.com
Responsible for content
Corporate Underwriting/Global Clients
Geo Risks Research/Environmental Management
Contact
GEOinfoLINE +(49) 89 3891 6111
E-mail: [email protected]
Picture credits
Cover, p. 2: Moritz Nauschütz, Munich
p. 1: Foto Meinen, Munich
p. 3: Phänomenta, Flensburg
p. 6: Stefan Müller-Naumann, Munich
p. 8: Matthias Ziegler, Agentur Neubauer
Printed by
Druckerei Vogl,
Tölzer Strasse 5a,
81379 München,
Germany
© 2005
Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft
Königinstrasse 107
80802 München
Germany
Order number 302-04461