Climate risk adaptation through disaster insurance: Understanding purchase behavior of farmers threatened by flash floods in rural China

Climate-related disasters such as flash floods pose severe threats to rural communities, making effective adaptation strategies essential for reducing risks and strengthening resilience. Disaster insurance, as an important climate policy instrument, can mitigate economic losses. However, a gap remains between their willingness to buy and actual purchase of disaster insurance. In this study, a research framework integrating partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), probit regression, and mediation analysis was employed to explore the factors influencing farmers’ disaster insurance purchase behavior (DIPB) in the Longmen Mountain region of southwest China, which is under frequent threat of climate-induced hazards. A household survey of 536 farmers was conducted, and the probit regression analysis revealed that their DIPB was strongly linked to their willingness to purchase insurance as well as their insurance awareness. Other factors that influenced their purchase behavior included their age, health status, education level, and labor out-migration. The PLS-SEM results indicated that farmers’ disaster preparedness expectations (DPE) were shaped by village capacity building, trust in government, and risk perception. In addition, participation in community-based disaster management (PCDM) was found to play a mediating role between expectations and behavior. These findings highlight the need for climate policy frameworks that integrate individual decision-making, community-based adaptation, and institutional trust to promote disaster insurance uptake. Policy recommendations are offered for expanding insurance coverage, enhancing rural resilience, and embedding disaster risk transfer into broader climate adaptation strategies.