Accelerated widening of economic disparity due to recurrent floods

Abstract

It is said that poverty traps caused by floods have been hindering sustainable development and accelerating under climate change. However, this process has not actually been proven because of the difficulty of collecting data. Here, we show how recurrent floods can exacerbate household poverty in both the short- and medium-term, while simultaneously improving the economic conditions of the non-poor, who are less likely to be affected by floods. This was done through a control study, by establishing control groups who had not suffered flood damage. This method allowed us to make clearer the effects of floods and to demonstrate the widening disparity due to recurrent floods, based on actual data. From our results we first derived an original framework to measure how recurrent floods influence widening disparities within communities. Our findings will be useful in determining flood control measures and plans that are resilient to floods under climate change.