The Impacts of Natural Disasters on Children Carolyn Kousky Resources for the Future

2 Chapter questions Do disasters have a disproportional impact on children? If so, what are those impacts? How long do the effects last? What can be done to mitigate the negative impacts?

3 Outline Climate change and natural disasters Disaster Impacts on Children Pathways Comment on methods Health Impacts Exposure in utero Exposure in childhood Long-term consequences Mental Health Impacts Schooling Impacts Developed / Developing country studies Mitigation/Adaptation

4/37 Climate Change and Natural Disasters Source: US Climate Change Science Program; IPCC SREX

Disaster impacts on children Destruction of schools and health facilities Destruction of HH assets or loss of income; required increase in expenditures Stress and trauma Risk of abuse and neglect Living with risk ex-ante

Some notes on methods Underlying mechanisms not identified Small samples, case studies, many short-run OVB Many studies do not have pre-disaster data Could be sorting on ex-ante risk Attrition from sample

Health impacts In Utero Exposure – some findings from hurricanes & heat waves Increase in risk for: low birth weight, delivery complications, abnormal conditions, reduced gestational age / preterm birth, worse apgar scores Impacts worse for more severe disaster experiences Some times more sensitive, but variation in findings Childhood Exposure Children can be at increased susceptibility for mortality Children at higher risk for some diseases Respiratory, gastro-intestinal Most focused on malnourishment in developing countries. Disaster occurrence linked to: Higher probability of being undernourished Lower height-for-age Z scores Higher risk of stunting and being underweight Birth to 2 is a highly sensitive period

Health impacts Health facilities destroyed Illness and injury from event untreated Unrelated health problems not treated Lack of sanitation; lack of clean drinking water Spread of infectious diseases Dehydration Consumption shock; loss of crops Reduced food consumption – malnourishment, deficiencies Traumatic event Physical impacts of stress

Mental health impacts Prevalence Higher rates of PTSD and other stress and anxiety related mental health problems after a disaster Determinants Aspects of exposure (e.g., magnitude of losses, perceived life threat) Child characteristics (e.g., age, gender, prior experiences) Social support (role of parents, for example) Child coping responses (anger, positive coping strategies…)

Schooling Destruction of schools Poor health from disaster could impact schooling Migration Family shifts children from school to labor force to make up lost income Developed country studies Katrina studies – drop and then increase from improvement in school quality Hurricanes may have small impacts on test scores; likely returns to pre-storm levels Developing country studies Disasters tend to show a decrease in school attendance and increase in labor participation but varies by location and aspects of child Is there state dependence?

Mitigating negative impacts Climate change could make impacts worse; increase areas threatened by disasters Many areas face “adaptation deficit” Strategies: Ex-ante Hazard mitigation, particularly better building Response plans Non-disaster policies and safety nets Improved health care infrastructure Access to credit School enrollment subsidies and social insurance Best practices for response Health interventions Reunification Special housing and shelter needs

Thank you.