Climate-related Natural Disasters Research Articles

Assessment of the Vulnerability of Households Led by Men and Women to the Impacts of Climate-Related Natural Disasters in the Coastal Areas of Myanmar and Vietnam

Farm households along the coastlines of Myanmar and Vietnam are becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding, saltwater intrusion, and rising sea levels. There is little information available on the relative vulnerability of men- and women-headed households, and the governments of Myanmar and Vietnam have not identified or implemented any adaptive measures aimed specifically at vulnerable peoples. This study aims to fill these gaps and assess the relative climate change vulnerability of men- and women-headed farm households. This study considers 599 farm households from two regions of Myanmar and 300 households from Thua Thien Hue province of Vietnam for the period 2021–2022. We offer a livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) analysis of men- and women-headed farm households using 46 indicators arranged into seven major components. The aggregate LVI scores indicate that farm households in Myanmar are more vulnerable (scores of 0.459 for men and 0.476 for women) to climate-related natural disasters than farm households in Vietnam (scores of 0.288 for men and 0.292 for women), regardless of the gender of the head of household. Total vulnerability indexing scores indicate that women-headed households are more vulnerable than men-headed households in both countries. Poor adaptive capacity and highly sensitive LVI dimensional scores explain the greater vulnerability of women-headed farm households. The findings also highlight the importance of the adaptive capacity components reflected in the LVI analysis in reducing farm households’ vulnerability.

Under What Conditions Does Climate Change Worry Contribute to Climate Action in Turkey: What Moderates This Relationship?

Recent studies provide strong evidence that climate change worry leads to climate action. However, there is a need for more studies on the conditions under which climate change worry triggers climate action or causes mental disorders. In this regard, we investigated the relationship between climate change worry and climate action and evaluated the role of participants’ knowledge of climate change and natural disaster experience in this relationship. The moderating function of climate action in the relationship between climate change worry and climate-related mental disorders was evaluated. Furthermore, the impact of climate change worry on different climate actions was also researched. Data obtained through an online survey from individuals aged 18–65 years old in a nationally representative sample in Turkey were used (n = 1229). The results show a positive impact of climate change worry on climate action. If climate change information creates a climate change worry, climate action occurs. Whereas climate change knowledge has a moderating role in the impact of climate change worry on climate action, experiencing climate-related natural disasters does not have such a role. However, experiencing climate-related natural disasters combined with climate change knowledge in the context of group impact leads to climate action. The climate change worry score had a positive effect on experiencing a climate-related mental disorder, but climate action does not have a moderating role in this relationship. The climate action most correlated with climate change worry is participating in voluntary activities to raise awareness among individuals. The contribution of climate change worry in different conditions to climate action is clearly supported by these research results. Therefore, climate change communication should be used to support the aspect of climate change worry that is transformed into climate action, and viable and sustainable environments should be created by considering each result of this study.

<p>Does climate change pose physical and transition risks to the financial stability of Türkiye? Evidence from Fourier Bootstrap ARDL</p>

Türkiye is experiencing unprecedented events of climate-related natural disasters in recent years ranging from wildfires, drought, floods, and earthquakes. These natural disasters may trigger financial instability via physical risk, arising from damages to fixed capital, disrupting coastline operations, and decline in agricultural products. The introduction of environmental regulations, policies, and innovations aimed at the mitigation of physical risk might trigger transition risk. This affects the value of the assets held by businesses within the fossil fuel industry and carbon-related industries; leading to increased insurance liability, reduction in cashflows, profitability, and insurability of corporations that depend on ecosystem services. Thus, the impact of physical and transition risk on the financial stability of Türkiye was investigated from 1980-2020 using the novel Fourier Bootstrap ARDL technique. The analysis revealed that physical risk measured as the frequency of natural disasters increases the risk of financial instability in Türkiye both in the short and long run. Contrarily, transition risks measured by environmental taxes and environmental technologies were found to increase the financial stability in Türkiye. As a major policy implication, it is suggested that companies must consider the risk of climate change during the infrastructure planning and building process. In addition, the government should revise environmental taxes to boost environmental innovation for a sustainable future.

Climate-Related Natural Disasters: Reflections on an Agenda for Rural Health Research.

The increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters will exacerbate the health inequities that already exist between people living in rural communities and those living in urban areas. There is a need to improve understanding of the differences in the impacts on and needs of rural communities, in order that policy, adaptation, mitigation, response and recovery efforts meet the needs of those who are most affected by flooding and who have the fewest resources to mitigate the impact and adapt to the increased flood risk. This paper is a reflection by a rural-based academic on the significance and experience of community-based flood-related research, with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities for research on rural health and climate change. From an equity perspective, there is a need for all analyses of national and regional datasets on climate and health to, wherever possible, examine the differential impacts and policy and practice implications for regional, remote and urban communities. At the same time, there is a need to build local capacity in rural communities for community-based participatory action research, and to enhance this capacity through building networks and collaborations between different researchers based in rural areas, and between rural- and urban-based researchers. We should also encourage the documentation, evaluation and sharing of experience and lessons from local and regional efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change on health in rural communities.

Now is the time to act on nutrition in medical education.

Now is the time to act on nutrition in medical education.

Climate-Related Natural Disasters and Regional Migration in Europe: A Spatial Econometric Analysis

Climate-Related Natural Disasters and Regional Migration in Europe: A Spatial Econometric Analysis

Международные механизмы компенсации климатических потерь и ущерба: новации

Recent trends in climate international regime formation include the development and diversification of multilateral mechanisms to prevent and reduce actual and future risks and damages from impacts of global climate change, including in the most vulnerable countries and regions of the planet. At the moment, the most urgent need is not just to implement any interstate cooperation within the existing regimes (which also has its shortcomings), but also to provide real funding for projects to compensate for losses and damages. At the end of 2022, an important phase of multilateral climate dialogue over the past three decades between the countries of the global North and the global South on institutionalizing their collaboration on financial and technological assistance to reduce climate societal vulnerability resulted in the decision to create a special global fund to cover loss and damage from climate-related natural disasters and promote sustainable development. The authors have identified and analyzed the main issues to be covered during the process of creation of the new international instrument. The forthcoming development of its design, participants’ commitments, funding sources, norms and procedures that meet the top priorities will be based on the experience and best practices of existing regional funds, among other things. The combination of global and regional regulation is shown to be an effective instrument of the current international climate regime. New trends and diversification of mechanisms of international climate regulation are considered as an important element in the process of its further development, implementation and effectiveness in the long term.

Impact of Climate Change on Individual and Community Mental Health

This paper provides an overview of the current and prospective climate change-related risks and impacts on individual and community mental health, as outlined by studies from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, and Pakistan, in addition to a few European countries from 2000 to January 2022. It argues three major points, first, certain vulnerabilities exist with regards to which populations are most atrisk of experiencing poor psychological well-being. The main vulnerabilities and risk factors highlighted in the paper are low socioeconomic background, young age, and communities having close cultural and working relationships with the environment. Second, climate change-induced natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and heatwaves can have several impacts on mental health, mainly due to worsening physical health, disruption of community cohesion, and forced relocation. The concept of community resilience is also discussed. Finally, the relationship between heat waves and increased psychological fatigue and feelings of hostility is also explored, linked with rising crime rate which can further impact individual and community mental health. It was concluded that climate change impacts individual and community mental health in many ways and that certain gaps in knowledge, such as the factors influencing the severity of this impact and the reasons behind the existence of vulnerabilities among populations, need to be addressed and incorporated into future action. Moreover, adaptive action needs to be taken in preparing societies for the impact of climate change. This includes increasing accessibility to quality mental healthcare and creating protective legal frameworks for those who are disproportionately affected by interpersonal violence during and after climate-related natural disasters. 

Factors that Underscore the Strength of Religious Organisations to Boost the Fight Against Climate Change

Climate change or global warming is rapidly threatening human survival, which makes addressing climate change a moral issue. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautions that there are currently more frequent, deadly, and destructive climate-related natural disasters that are causing more human and financial losses. The UN Secretary-General has attributed this scenario to negative human behaviour and completely inadequate efforts by the international community to reverse the current trend of carbon emissions. Using largely secondary data, this study has explored factors that underscore the relevance or power of world religious organisations to influence public policy reforms and boost positive behaviour for a successful transition to carbon neutrality by 2050. These factors include (1) a high number of their followers; (2) ecological principles of the world religions; (3) galvanising power, penetrating and holistic analysis of events, (4) the ability to educate and create awareness on significant issues like the need to drastically cut carbon emission (i.e., climate change sensitive lifestyles or responsible consumption of natural resources), and (5) leverage the 4 factors mentioned above to mobilise financial resources to support activities(e.g., subsidies) toward carbon neutrality, especially in the poor developing countries; thereby influencing effective public policy reforms and political will toward climate change action. In conclusion, this study strongly calls for the active engagement of world religious organisations (as key stakeholders) to work seriously for a successful transition to carbon neutrality by 2050

Does ecological footprint in ECCAS and ECOWAS converge? Empirical evidence from a panel unit root test with sharp and smooth breaks.

The costs due to climate change have been increasing day by day. In addition to the risk of losing our planet's natural assets due to the increasing destructiveness of climate-related natural disasters and extreme climate events, we are also faced with grave economic risks. For this reason, researchers have recently focused on environmental issues. Nevertheless, they generally have investigated developed countries and ignored developing and least developed countries such as African countries. The United Nations (2015) report highlights that African countries should be specially investigated. Hence, the paper analyzes whether the ecological footprint in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) converges for the period from 1961 to 2017. We employ Bahmani-Oskooee et al.'s (2014) panel unit root test with sharp and smooth breaks. The empirical findings demonstrate that the ecological footprint is stationary in ECCAS and ECOWAS. Stated in other words, the ecological footprint in these countries converges. Therefore, policymakers could implement similar policies to reduce the ecological footprint in these countries. This policy framework paves the way for an effective sustainable development.

Climate-Related Natural Disasters and Voting Behavior: Evidence from Environmental Legislation in the US Senate

Previous articleNext article No AccessNatural Disasters and Voting Behavior: Evidence from Environmental Legislation in the US SenateRobert Elliott, Viet Nguyen-Tien, Eric Strobl, and Thomas TveitRobert Elliott Search for more articles by this author , Viet Nguyen-Tien Search for more articles by this author , Eric Strobl Search for more articles by this author , and Thomas Tveit Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Just Accepted Published for the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/722540 Views: 122Total views on this site HistoryAccepted September 13, 2022 PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Zmiany klimatu a zdrowie psychiczne: przegląd aktualnej literatury

This review article focuses on mental health implications of climate change. Global warming is likely to cause the severe widespread emergencies: extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, water-related disasters (i.e., flooding, hurricanes and coastal storms), extreme snow, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Rising temperatures, sea level rise and extreme weather events have led to secondary and tertiary consequences, e.g., social disruption, impoverishment and population displacement. Mental health risks of climate change include greater stress, stressrelated disorders, anxiety, despair, depression, and suicidal ideation. Those risks can stem from climate-related natural disasters (e.g., extreme weather events), slower moving events (e.g., drought), or concern about the phenomenon of climate change itself. A focus on the impact of climate change on mental health can help enhance the understanding of factors that strengthen psychosocial resilience and adaptation, as well as design tailor-made local interventions. Proper psychosocial adaptation strategies for the upcoming mental health challenges of climate change require development of social capital and strengthening of institutional systems.

Knowledge on Causes and Consequences of Climate Change in a Cohort of Italian Students

Our study aims to understand how students of various backgrounds and academic fields retrieve information on Climate Change (CC) and highlights their knowledge on the main causes and consequences of CC, and on the role of healthcare workers in the fight towards this threat. A cross-sectional study was performed between January and December 2020 through an online questionnaire enrolling a total number of 480 university students. The questionnaire is divided in two sections with a total number of 20 questions. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the answers and socio-demographic variables. Statistical significance was set at a p-value < 5%. More than 80% of the sample identifies the increase in Earth's temperature (95.0%), melting of ice caps (89.4%), rising of sea levels (81.8%), and the more frequent occurrence of climate-related natural disasters as major consequences of CC. Across courses of study, the frequency on how CC is addressed differs (p<0.001): students belonging to the medical field addressed the issue less frequently (31.5%) compared to humanities students (49.0%) and science and technology students (63.4%). The study shows that students of medical field are less prepared and less aware of the consequences and causes of CC than students in other faculties. Since CC will play a role in every aspect of patients' lives, barriers to health care will have to be overcome through the knowledge and skills acquired during undergraduate courses.

Open Collaborative Platform for Multi-Drones to Support Search and Rescue Operations

Climate-related natural disasters have affected the lives of thousands of people. Global warming creates warmer and drier conditions which increase the risk of wildfires. In large-scale disasters such as wildfires, search and rescue (SAR) operations become extremely challenging due to low visibility, difficulty to breath, and high temperature from fire and smoke. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as drones, have been used to support such operations. In our previous work, a Krypto module is proposed to “sniff” out wireless signals from mobile phones to locate any possible survivors. With the increased popularity of drones, it is possible to allow people to volunteer in SAR operations with their drones. In this paper, we propose an Open Collaborative Platform for multiple drones to assist SAR operations. The open platform manages different searching drones that carry the Krypto module to collaborate by sharing information and planning search paths/areas. With our Open Collaborative Platform, anyone can participate in SAR operations and contribute to finding possible survivors. The novelty of this work is the openness and collaboration of the platform that “crowdsourcing” the searching operation to a large group of people who share information and contribute to finding possible survivors in a large disaster such as wildfires. Our experimental study shows that the Open Collaborative Platform is effective in reducing both the number of drones required and the search time for finding survivors.

A Social Insurance Perspective on Pandemic Fiscal Policy: Implications for Unemployment Insurance and Hazard Pay

This paper considers fiscal policy during the pandemic through the lens of optimal social insurance. We develop a simple framework to analyze how government taxes and transfers could mimic the insurance that people would like to have had against pandemic income losses. Permutations of the framework provide insight into how unemployment insurance should be structured, when and how much hazard pay is called for, and whether fiscal policy should aim just to redistribute income or also to stimulate aggregate demand during a pandemic. When we use the insights from the model to evaluate unemployment insurance measures taken during the pandemic, we find that some, but far from all, of the implications of the social insurance framework were followed. In the case of hazard pay, we find that the proposal for a national program (the never-implemented HEROES Act) was both broader and more generous than a social insurance perspective would call for. We suggest that the social insurance perspective on fiscal policy is likely to become increasingly relevant as pandemics and climate-related natural disasters become more common causes of unemployment and recessions.

Food (in)security and (un)healthy diet on the (difficult) road to zero hunger: Celebrating the World Food Day

The worldwide prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity has been steadily increasing in recent years, despite the United Nations’ Zero Hunger target by 2030. At the same time, unhealthy diets represent a major cause of diet-related non-communicable diseases. This contributes to the global increase in overweight and obesity, the Janus of malnutrition. Major drivers of food insecurity are economic slowdowns and downturns (further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic), conflict and food crisis, poverty and inequality, and climate-related natural disasters. In this scenario, transformation of food systems will be pivotal to address these drivers of food insecurity, malnutrition, and unaffordability of healthy diets. Keywords: prevalence of undernourishment, malnutrition, Sustainable Development Goals, food systems, overweight, obesity, non-communicable diseases

Assessment of the Vulnerability of Women's and Men's Households to the Impacts of Climate-Related Natural Disasters in the Coastal Areas of Myanmar and Vietnam

Assessment of the Vulnerability of Women's and Men's Households to the Impacts of Climate-Related Natural Disasters in the Coastal Areas of Myanmar and Vietnam

The Impact of Climate-Change-Related Disasters on Africa's Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Conflicts: Can Humanitarian Aid and Food Assistance Offset the Damage?

This study analyzed the impact of climate-related natural disasters (droughts, floods, storms/rainstorms) on economic and social variables. As the Africa-specific empirical literature is limited, this study used panel data from 1961–2011 on Africa. The study used a panel data regression model analysis. The results showed that climate change-related natural disasters affected Africa’s economic growth, agriculture, and poverty and caused armed conflicts. Among the disasters, droughts are the main cause of negative impact, severely affecting crops such as maize and coffee and resulting in increased urban poverty and armed conflicts. In contrast, international aid has a positive effect but the impact is insignificant compared to the negative consequences of climate-related natural disasters. Cereal food assistance has a negative crowding-out effect on cereal production. International donors should review their interventions to support Africa’s adaptative capacity to disasters. Government efficiency has reduced the number of deaths, and this is an area that supports Africa’s adaptative efforts.

Government Agencies and their Discourses of Flood Disaster Preparedness: Impact on Response, Action and Community Empowerment

One of the severe global threats facing the world today is flooding. Similarly, Malaysia is faced with monsoon and flash floods which are the most severe "climate-related natural disasters" for the country. The Malaysian government is the main stakeholder and provider of aid in every stage of disaster. Consequently, the involvement of flood risk communities is said to be minimal and overlooked. Researchers have also stated that there is still a lack of research on human involvement and response. Thus, addressing these gaps, we take on a social constructionist view to situate flood disaster as a social practice and discourse to investigate how government officials ‘talk’ about their involvement in flood disaster mitigation and management. Our analysis is based on the perspective that their ‘talk’ evokes specific disaster discourses which relate to the different ways of understanding flood disaster, and that these discourses in turn shape and impact their response and action for flood mitigation and management as well as community empowerment. To this end, we adopt Van Leeuwen’s representation of social actors and social action framework to identify the disaster discourses drawn upon by the officials. The findings show that government officials employ various discourses that draw on the ‘ traditional framework of relief and rehabilitation ’ and a ‘ top-down government centric approach ’ that focus less on community empowerment. We see a need for the inclusion of a ‘ discourse of shared responsibility ’ that is part of a ‘ proactive approach ’, and sees all parties as partners, and in particular, flood risk communities.

Climate-related natural disasters and forced migration: a spatial regression analysis

ABSTRACT We investigate the role of spatial effects in the analysis of the relationship between climate-related disasters and forced migration. As a case study we select South and Southeast Asia due to the area’s large exposure to these hazards. The spatial regressions show that short- to medium-distance forced migrations are considerably affected by climate-related disasters, independently of the economic expectation associated with the destination. Moreover, we find that this relationship is disaster-type specific. Finally, we detect a competition among migrants, as the decision to move as an adaptation strategy is found to be dependent on the migratory behaviour of neighbouring countries.