Geospatial Analysis for Risk and Insurance: Exploring the May 2025 Mokwa Flood for Environmental Liability Insurance Imperatives

The intensifying prevalence and intensity of flood events across Nigeria highlights a pressingneed for advanced risk assessment and management models that extend beyond immediateinfrastructural damage to encompass pervasive environmental liabilities. This study utilizes theanalytical power of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) toinvestigate the May 2025 catastrophic flash flood in Mokwa, Niger State, Nigeria as asignificant case study for informing and developing Environmental Liability Insurance (ELI)frameworks. Through the analysis of pre- and post-flood high-resolution satellite imagery,coupled with detailed Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) elevation data, this researchprecisely delineated flood extent, quantified affected assets, and identified areas at heightenedrisk of environmental hazards. The findings reveal the vulnerability of informal settlementsdevoid of effective urban development and highlights the spatial intersection of floodwaterswith other environmental elements. This investigation provides crucial geospatial intelligencefor insurers in underwriting, claims validation, and developing risk-pricing models, advocatingfor a proactive, spatially informed approach to ELI in Nigeria's varied flood-prone regions.