Annual publication provides a unique digest for the (re)insurance industry of the latest hazard and risk science research.

MONTE CARLO, 9 September 2008 – The fifth edition of the annual publication, the Hazard & Risk Science Review, was published today at the Monte Carlo Reinsurance Rendezvous. 

Researched and edited by Professor Bill McGuire, Dr Stephen Edwards and Dr Harvey Rodda of the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre (BUHRC), and jointly sponsored by Benfield and PartnerRe, the Hazard & Risk Science Review 2008 provides a unique digest of over 80 scientific research papers published over the past 12 months, and focuses on the four major areas of natural hazards that are relevant to catastrophe (re)insurance – atmospheric, geological, hydrological and climate change. 

Following the devastating impact of Cyclone Nargis on Burma earlier this year, the  Hazard & Risk Science Review 2008 leads with a detailed summary of the large volume of research undertaken on atmospheric hazards over the past 12 months.  In particular, the Review revisits the continuing debate linking contemporary tropical cyclone activity and climate change through rising sea-surface temperatures.  Also reviewed are notable recent papers on seismically-exposed regions in light of the recent Sichuan earthquake in China. 

Other key topics covered in the 2008 Review include:

• Latest research on the level of seismic risk in Japan, California and Turkey
• Fault zone and earthquake interaction, leading to triggering and cascading of earthquakes and to their progression and clustering
• Post-mortem reports on 2007 UK summer floods, including recommendations for future flood risk management
• Mediterranean tsunami hazard assessment improved
• Ice loss acceleration in the Arctic Ocean and from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

Dr Stephen Edwards commented:
"The annual Hazard & Risk Science Review provides a user-friendly synthesis of the vast quantity of hazard and risk science research published every 12 months. Once again, the authors hope and expect that the findings presented in the 2008 Review will broaden knowledge within the market of the latest and most pertinent research and, as a consequence, help to guide responsible global business decisions."

Professor Bill McGuire, Dr Stephen Edwards and Dr Harvey Rodda worked with natural catastrophe specialists and modellers at Benfield and PartnerRe to review an extensive range of published work in major scientific journals that included Nature, Science, the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology and Geophysical Research Letters. They identified and selected a sample of papers that they considered to be of most relevance to the global (re)insurance market.

Since its launch at Monte Carlo in 2004, over 12,000 copies of the first four editions of the Review have been distributed throughout the (re)insurance market.  The Hazard & Risk Science Review 2008 is online at ww.benfieldhrc.org/hrsr2008 and printed copies can be obtained by sending an email, with your full postal address, to BUHRC@benfieldgroup.com or by calling (London) +44 (0) 20 7522 3850.  Previous editions of the Review (2004-2007) can be accessed via http://www.benfieldhrc.org/activities/hrsr.htm.

For further information, please contact:

Rebecca Coombes      
Benfield        
London        
T: +44 (0) 20 7522 3850     
E: Rebecca Coombes     

Eija Tuulensuu
PartnerRe
Zurich
T:  +41 (0) 44 385 36 27
E: Eija Tuulensuu

Dr Stephen Edwards
Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre
University College London
T: +44 (0) 20 7679 3637
E: Dr Stephen Edwards 

Notes to Editors:

Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre:
With 60 researchers and practitioners, the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre is Europe's leading multidisciplinary academic hazard research centre. BUHRC comprises three groups: Geological Hazards, Meteorological Hazards & Seasonal Forecasting, and Disaster Studies & Management. The Centre is based at University College London, which is listed in the global top ten of the Times Higher Education Supplement-QS World University Rankings 2007.  BUHRC is sponsored by Benfield, the world's leading independent reinsurance and risk intermediary.  www.benfieldhrc.org 

Benfield:
Benfield is the world's leading independent reinsurance and risk intermediary.  Its customers include many of the world's major insurance and reinsurance companies as well as government entities and global corporations.   Benfield operates from more than 50 locations worldwide. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BFD.  www.benfieldgroup.com

PartnerRe:
PartnerRe Ltd. is a leading global reinsurer, providing multi-line reinsurance to insurance companies. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, also offers alternative risk products that include weather and credit protection to financial, industrial and service companies. Risks reinsured include property, casualty, motor, agriculture, aviation/space, catastrophe, credit/surety, engineering, energy, marine, specialty property, specialty casualty, multiline and other lines, life/annuity and health, and alternative risk products. For the year ended December 31, 2007, total revenues were $4.2 billion. At June 30, 2008, total assets were $17.2 billion, total capital was $5.3 billion and total shareholders’ equity was $4.4 billion.
PartnerRe on the Internet: www.partnerre.com