Government effectiveness and institutions as determinants of tropical cyclone mortality

Abstract

Tropical cyclone disasters frequently result in substantial loss of life. Institutional capacity and economic development are believed to play protective roles, but previous efforts have been unable to disentangle their relative effects. We establish empirically that stronger national and subnational institutions, independent of income, are associated with lower tropical cyclone mortality. This suggests that effective institutions play an important role in the success of disaster risk reduction strategies. Our approach of accounting for hazard intensity, population exposure, and socioeconomic conditions at high resolutions can be extended to other hazards and scales to further examine how institutions moderate risk.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Nov 03, 2020
Source ID
10.1073/pnas.2006213117

Entities

People

  • Elisabeth A Gilmore
  • Elizabeth Tennant

Organizations

  • Army Research Office
  • Clark University
  • Cornell University
  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Economics
  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Economics
  • Strategic Security Studies