5.1 Historical Context
A natural disaster compensation fund has been in operation in Belgium since 1976. In 2003, compulsory
flood cover was introduced as an add on to fire insurance. Initially set-up to provide cover for specific
flood prone areas only, disagreements about the boundaries of the high-risk zones meant that this idea
was eventually discontinued. This means that the compulsory coverage includes the whole country and
not just zones considered high risk (Faure and Bruggeman, 2007).
The Waarborg Natuurrampen (WN) in its current form was established in 2005. Like the French
NAT/CAT, it ties natural disaster coverage to a common type of first-party insurance. In the case of the
WN it is specifically bundled with fire insurance policies rather than a broader range of property
insurances, as is the case under the French system.
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