The economic costs of extreme weather events: a hydrometeorological CGE analysis for Malawi

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
KARL PAUW ◽  
JAMES THURLOW ◽  
MURTHY BACHU ◽  
DIRK ERNST VAN SEVENTER

ABSTRACTExtreme weather events such as droughts and floods have potentially damaging implications for developing countries. Previous studies have estimated economic losses during hypothetical or single historical events, and have relied on historical production data rather than explicitly modeling climate. However, effective mitigation strategies require knowledge of the full distribution of weather events and their isolated effects on economic outcomes. We combine stochastic hydrometeorological crop-loss models with a regionalized computable general equilibrium model to estimate losses for the full distribution of possible weather events in Malawi. Results indicate that, based on repeated sampling from historical events, at least 1.7 per cent of Malawi's gross domestic product (GDP) is lost each year due to the combined effects of droughts and floods. Smaller-scale farmers in the southern region of the country are worst affected. However, poverty among urban and nonfarm households also increases due to national food shortages and higher domestic prices.

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROY BOYD ◽  
MARIA E. IBARRARÁN

ABSTRACTClimate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather events. Mexico is particularly prone to suffer at least two different types of these events: droughts and hurricanes. This paper focuses on the effects of an extended drought on the Mexican economy. Through a computable general equilibrium model, we simulate the impact of a drought that affects primarily agriculture, livestock, forestry, and hydropower generation. We look at the effects on the overall economy. We then simulate the effects of several adaptation strategies in (chiefly) the agricultural, forestry, and power sectors, and we arrive at some tentative yet significant conclusions. We find that the effects of such an event vary substantially by sector with moderate to severe overall impacts. Furthermore, we find that adaptation policies can only effect modest changes to the economic losses to be suffered.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Cogato ◽  
Franco Meggio ◽  
Massimiliano De Antoni Migliorati ◽  
Francesco Marinello

Despite the increase of publications focusing on the consequences of extreme weather events (EWE) for the agricultural sector, a specific review of EWE related to agriculture is missing. This work aimed at assessing the interrelation between EWE and agriculture through a systematic quantitative review of current scientific literature. The review analysed 19 major cropping systems (cereals, legumes, viticulture, horticulture and pastures) across five continents. Documents were extracted from the Scopus database and examined with a text mining tool to appraise the trend of publications across the years, the specific EWE-related issues examined and the research gaps addressed. The results highlighted that food security and economic losses due to the EWE represent a major interest of the scientific community. Implementation of remote sensing and imagery techniques for monitoring and detecting the effects of EWE is still underdeveloped. Large research gaps still lie in the areas concerning the effects of EWE on major cash crops (grapevine and tomato) and the agronomic dynamics of EWE in developing countries. Current knowledge on the physiological dynamics regulating the responses of main crops to EWE appears to be well established, while more research is urgently needed in the fields of mitigation measures and governance systems.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Young ◽  
Ben A. Smith ◽  
Aamir Fazil

Global climate change is expected to impact drinking water quality through multiple weather-related phenomena. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between various weather-related variables and the occurrence and concentration of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in fresh surface waters. We implemented a comprehensive search in four databases, screened 1,228 unique citations for relevance, extracted data from 107 relevant articles, and conducted random-effects meta-analysis on 16 key relationships. The average odds of identifying Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in fresh surface waters was 2.61 (95% CI = 1.63–4.21; I2 = 16%) and 2.87 (95% CI = 1.76–4.67; I2 = 0%) times higher, respectively, during and after extreme weather events compared to baseline conditions. Similarly, the average concentration of Cryptosporidium and Giardia identified under these conditions was also higher, by approximately 4.38 oocysts/100 L (95% CI = 2.01–9.54; I2 = 0%) and 2.68 cysts/100 L (95% CI = 1.08–6.55; I2 = 48%). Correlation relationships between other weather-related parameters and the density of these pathogens were frequently heterogeneous and indicated low to moderate effects. Meta-regression analyses identified different study-level factors that influenced the variability in these relationships. The results can be used as direct inputs for quantitative microbial risk assessment. Future research is warranted to investigate these effects and potential mitigation strategies in different settings and contexts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (2) ◽  
pp. 781-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Frame ◽  
Suzanne M. Rosier ◽  
Ilan Noy ◽  
Luke J. Harrington ◽  
Trevor Carey-Smith ◽  
...  

Abstract An important and under-quantified facet of the risks associated with human-induced climate change emerges through extreme weather. In this paper, we present an initial attempt to quantify recent costs related to extreme weather due to human interference in the climate system, focusing on economic costs arising from droughts and floods in New Zealand during the decade 2007–2017. We calculate these using previously collected information about the damages and losses associated with past floods and droughts, and estimates of the “fraction of attributable risk” that characterizes each event. The estimates we obtain are not comprehensive, and almost certainly represent an underestimate of the full economic costs of climate change, notably chronic costs associated with long-term trends. However, the paper shows the potential for developing a new stream of information that is relevant to a range of stakeholders and research communities, especially those with an interest in the aggregation of the costs of climate change or the identification of specific costs associated with potential liability.


Author(s):  
Abhijit R. Kulkarni ◽  
Behrouz Shafei

Iowa’s roadway network is an important part of the state’s transportation infrastructure and plays a critical role in the functionality and economic development of the entire state. This network primarily consists of three interstate highways that pass through Iowa, connecting it to the neighboring states and eventually Canada. Various businesses are located near this roadway network and rely on it for everyday operation. In recent years, however, the growth of agricultural and biofuel industries has intensified the demand on the roads and bridges in Iowa. The state’s roads and bridges have also witnessed a number of flooding events, which have caused extensive traffic disruptions and economic losses. Thus, it is imperative to develop a fundamental approach to evaluate the impact of extreme events on the transportation infrastructure of Iowa and other similar states. Towards this goal, the current study investigates the existing condition of Iowa’s transportation infrastructure, possibility of occurrence of extreme weather events, and scenarios that may lead to the failure of transportation infrastructure components. For this purpose, the capabilities of Bayesian belief networks are utilized to quantify the effects of extreme precipitation and extreme temperature on the performance of transportation infrastructure and then predict the probability of damage to roads and bridges. This will be achieved through the identification of the most influential factors using a set of sensitivity analyses, assessment of overall vulnerability with evidence-based propagation analyses, and quantification of response to extreme weather events, taking into consideration climate projections.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinan Küfeoğlu ◽  
Samuel Prittinen ◽  
Matti Lehtonen

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C. Balash, PhD ◽  
Kenneth C. Kern ◽  
John Brewer ◽  
Justin Adder ◽  
Christopher Nichols ◽  
...  

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