Natural Disasters and Vulnerability: Evidence from the 1997 Forest Fires in Indonesia

25 Pages Posted: 5 Apr 2011

See all articles by Po Yin Wong

Po Yin Wong

Hong Kong Monetary Authority

Phil Brown

GeoSource Capital Solutions

Date Written: April 4, 2011

Abstract

Few studies have attempted to investigate the link between poverty and vulnerability with respect to natural disasters. By applying a utility model to panel data from Indonesia that brackets a major forest fire, this paper estimates and analyzes households’ vulnerability in both total consumption and food consumption. We find that households with a high degree of exposure to smoke from the fires were more vulnerable in total consumption than households with lower exposure, but that they were no more vulnerable in food consumption.

Keywords: Vulnerability, Natural Disasters, Fire, Indonesia

JEL Classification: I3, O1, Q5

Suggested Citation

Wong, Po Yin and Brown, Phil, Natural Disasters and Vulnerability: Evidence from the 1997 Forest Fires in Indonesia (April 4, 2011). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1802662 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1802662

Po Yin Wong

Hong Kong Monetary Authority ( email )

Hong Kong

Phil Brown (Contact Author)

GeoSource Capital Solutions ( email )

PO Box 535
Charles Town, WV 25414
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
122
Abstract Views
1,073
Rank
414,744
PlumX Metrics