Natural Disasters
Impact of Natural Disasters on Poverty and Human Development Ericka Tapia English 219
Introduction Millions of people every year are affected a ffected by natural disasters. More recently, we’ve seen the tragedies that have fallen on o n communities, such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and earthquakes. From the destruction of buildings to the spread of diseases, natural disasters can devastate a country overnight. Most countries co untries that are affected are lower-class countries, with low progress. How do these disasters effect the development in these areas? Why is it that these countries are more at risk? There are outcomes that are long term and aren’t just physically or environmental, but results that relate to the progress of countries; for the community and for the citizens. The rate of natural disasters is growing. Between the years of 2005 and 2014, the average annual of weather related disasters doubled from 1995 (Shepard, 2013). Countries that are more developed are better prepared to handle han dle the impact of disasters along with the aftermath. In countries where there is low development, natural disasters tend to trap p eople in a cycle of poverty, due to lack of resources. This makes them less likely to recover in the long run, putting urbanization at risk. Urbanization refers to the growth of u rban population, and the spread of the lifestyle. This includes construction of buildings and development of u rban infrastructure such as structure for water, sewage, transportation, communication and energy supply.
Who Is Most at Risk?
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The above map displays the reality of the situation. Natural disasters tend to hit and are at m ost at risk in areas that are poorly developed. developed . Indonesia, India, and the Philippines are the top countries hit by the highest number of disasters. d isasters. The number of deaths is linked to the countries own situations. Certain geographical locations are connected to hi gher death tolls. Areas with weaker public institutions, and economic societal inequality.
Human Impacts There are many factors that play a role in developing a country. From health to economics, it’s important to understand these to understand the issue. Displaced Populations: Population displacement is an immediate effect of a natural disaster.
Many people are forced to abandon their homes and seek shelter in other regions. A large amount of refugees can disrupt accessibility to health care and education, along with food supplies and even clean water. Tropical storm Agatha in 2010 increased poverty by 14% (Elliot, 2016). Health Risks: Floods can bring risks such as stagnant water, allowing breeding of waterborne
bacteria and malaria. Death tolls can rise even long after the disaster has passed. Again, with the limited accessibility to health care in these countries leads to issues. hu ngry as a result of destroyed crops and loss of Food Scarcity: Thousands of people go hungry agricultural supplies. Not to mention these linked to family businesses an d income. As a result, food prices rise, reducing families purchasing power. This increases the risk for malnutrition. This also effects the country’s economy, the little they did have. Emotional Aftershock: Besides the physical troubles, these disasters can have an impact
emotionally. People are confronted with scenes of destruction and the deaths of loved ones and friends. Especially in children. The prevalence of PTSD in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana rose from 15% a few months after Katrina to 21% a year later (Elliot, 2016). According to Childfund.org, these are factors that put countries more at risk:
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Poorly constructed buildings
Poor sanitation
High density population
Limited resources for disaster response
Lack of “economy safety nets”
Methodology My main goal through this research was to search into the different factors that impact development, then find how these were affected by a disaster. I conducted my research with with the use of secondary resources. Mainly websites and scholarly articles had the most information. I looked for research conducted about the effects of natural disasters and also statistics and numbers supporting this reasoning. I first started with researching the basics of natural disasters. Where they occur most, and immediate effects. I then tried to dig deeper in why certain countries c ountries are affected more and the long term effects. e ffects. One issue with researching this topic is finding first-hand information. It’s very limited in finding first hand experiences or people who have seen the long
term effects and development of a country. There is an absence of longitudinal data on the welfare of households before and after disasters. The main approach of this research is to separate the effects that natural disasters have on social indicators (development, pove rty levels). The next step I would take with this research is to analyze similarities within each category, and how they all have a role in communities and development. I want to bring them together to focus on the negative effects, how it is difficult for people in poverty. I want to try and find the evidence, statistics, on the lack of structure in countries with a high level of poverty. This is where I ran into the most problems. This research area of natural disasters d isasters is left out. Media and research is mainly focused on the now, the present. It was difficult to find a great deal of research ove r a span of years, for the long term affects. Lastly, I want to examine e xamine the importance of this topic for the future and for disaster relief . In order to best help a country or a situation, it’s best to know everything about it. In this case, who is most mo st affected and in which areas. With climate change ch ange being on the table, and we’re seeing a high increase in the amount of natural disasters, this issue is important for
global assistance. We cannot control or stop disasters, but we can control how we prepare and react to them.
Results Through this research I found that natural disasters slow down and negatively affect the development of the targeted countries. They The y spiral into human catastrophes when the embed the poverty that already exists, and pull more people down with it. Not only are they immediately hit with damage, long term effects take place; economic, health, and culturally. Disasters leave these already struggling countries in an endless cycle that is difficult to get out of. With limited resources, it’s important to understand the effects to better help and aid them.
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Natural disasters push 26 million people into poverty every year (Elliott, 2016). It It costs the global economy more than a half a trillion dollars in lost consumption (Beth, 2015). These disasters and climate shocks threaten decades of progress against pov erty. Impoverished people are more likely to live in hazard-exposed areas. They are also less likely to invest and prepare in risk-reducing measures. Given this, poverty is both a cause and a consequence of disasters. Poverty was the main factor in finding how disasters effect development. Long term setbacks were found in health, education, and employment opportunities. Immediate impacts are evident. It was found that 95% of deaths caused by disaster occur in poor countries (Beth, 2015). I gathered my results into two main categories: Health and Economics. These we re the biggest contributors to community development. Health
Taking a look at Table 1, it’s clear the effects are serious and in this case, a drought takes an effect on children and their future. This shows that disasters will cause a threat to children who a ren’t
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even born yet. Health and education will be delayed, and it is out of their control. Disasters can destroy roads, telephone lines, and transportation and communication links are destroyed. Damage to food sources and utilities may create significant public health threats. They can also destroy local health infrastructures like hospitals. This will lead to major population movements, often where the area cannot handle ha ndle the situation. Displacing large population increases the risk for outbreaks of diseases. All of this leads to a higher h igher mortality rate, along with issues for citizens who cannot retrieve the proper health care. A community’s economic infrastructure may be so damaged, their ability to provide healthcare could be diminished for years. Economics
As stated before, disasters cause trillions of dollars in damage. Researching into a more personal level, I found that families and individuals were majorly affected a ffected in a negative light. For example, the 2009 typhoon that occurred oc curred in the Philippines. Those who were hit the hardest were those who were self-employed; fishermen, farmers, small business owners and informal-sector workers (Matthias, 2014). Their households were disrupted as they transferred to less capital intensive and less profitable occupations. They also suffered with getting access to government and international assistance. Rizal, one of the provinces hit hardest, saw the poverty rate double. Six years later, recovery was still far off, with 8% of families still below the poverty line (Matthias, 2014). Poverty and inequality often will push people to live on the boundaries, in risky places. pla ces. Places such as floodplains, along rivers, or on hillsides. This encourages a vicious cycle of debt and hardship. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti cost an estimated $14 billion, equivalent to 160% 16 0% of Haiti’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) (Matthias, 2014). This is the monetary measure of the market value of all goods and services produced within a period of time. Wealthier groups have a better chance to recover than lower income groups. The long term effect of lower employment forces people to rely rel y on temporary jobs. Economic growth is stunted and these countries get set back from their attempt to reduce redu ce poverty.
Discussion Natural disasters are a relevant and important topic for the the future of the world. We’ve seen an increasing amount of them occur, and of o f great destruction. They harmfully influence communities and countries. It’s vital to be aware of who ’s most at risk and why. It’s imperative to realize that
disasters have damages that are long term.
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Economics Those countries who are in in poverty rely heavily on donations and help from other countries to overcome these hardships. Especially for disaster relief organizations, it’s important to be informed
on these situations. To know exactly that there are hazards such as contaminated water, food scarcity, and long term economic effects. These countries need more than just some supplies. They will need major help economically to help he lp people survive and rise out of poverty. Knowing that poverty is a cause and consequence in the aftermath of disasters is key to piecing together the importance of bringing awareness and preparedness. The development of a country will determine the aftermath of a disaster. It will also determine the help the y get. Unfortunately, many disasters in un-urbanized areas go without notice, leaving people to struggle in a cycle of poverty.
Health Given the growing number of people peopl e living in exposed areas, disaster risk is increasing. People P eople are dying and suffering given no help. It’s also crucial to be aware of the long term health effects. Tracing to even heights of children, these disasters d isasters are taking a toll on its victims. We fail to realize as a society the things these people might be going through. To this day, people in Puerto Rico still don’t have full power. In some cases, countries c ountries are left without clean water, and children are left
with PTSD. These disasters will affect people for the rest of their lives unle ss real, long term action is take. Disaster relief organizations will need to take this information and prepare to help further in development. Natural disasters have influenced communities more than we realize. In order to better assist them, we first must must understand the underlying cause.
Conclusion/ Recommendations Recommendations This research has shed light on the cause c ause and effect of natural disasters, who’s at risk, and why it
matters for the future. Those in poverty are most a t risk, and therefore are more affected. It delays development in countries and leaves families stuck. Disaster risk management is a key factor in fixing this. Disaster risk should concentrate on areas that are most at risk. Disaster relief efforts should focus on saving livelihoods and lives. There should be clear, strong strategies to reduce poverty and build the assets of those disturbed. Programs would be very useful, enforcing longterm livelihood. This will take international investment, though it’s clear more money needs to be directed to maximizing disaster preparedness and poverty reduction. Organization should map out and plan exactly how these countries will be affected long term, to better b etter assess how to help them. This is crucial if we want of goal of greatly reducing poverty within reach.
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Graphics
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