Earthquake Risk Information and Risk Aversive Behavior: Evidence from a Survey of Residents in Tokyo Metropolitan Area

This paper analyzes the relationship between provision of earthquake risk information and residents' willingness to pay (WTP) for disaster risk reduction by the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), using questionnaire survey data on the purchase of earthquake insurance in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Japan. Degree of disaster risk aversion and subjective probability of loss are estimated as parameters of expected utility function in a discrete choice model. The results suggest that when more precise and specific earthquake risk information is provided, residents of vulnerable houses are willing to pay more for disaster risk reduction, with larger subjective probability of loss, while those in safe houses are willing to pay slightly less, with a larger degree of risk aversion.