Social and Economic Effects of a Natural Disaster

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): On December 26, 2004 a massive earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean wreaked havoc on coastal areas throughout the region. Casualties stand at nearly 250,000 worldwide. The majority of deaths occurred in Indonesia, the focus of this project. We have three goals. First, using longitudinal survey data collected before and after the disaster, we will document the immediate and intermediate consequences for mortality, family disruption and relocation, physical and mental health, and economic resources. Second, we will trace the reconstruction of lives and livelihoods in the aftermath of the disaster, paying attention to the roles of kinship and social networks, economic resources, community resilience, and receipt and leveraging of external aid. Third, treating the tsunami as unanticipated, we will identify the characteristics of individuals, households and communities that are associated with mitigating the consequences of the disaster. Our results will identify the groups in low income populations that are likely to be the most vulnerable to longer- term negative consequences of natural disasters. To accomplish our goals we will assemble, collect and analyze a rich longitudinal data set based on interviews in the two disaster-stricken provinces on the island of Sumatra. This exploratory project seeks to break new ground in producing scientifically sound data for understanding the impact of a major natural disaster on the health and well-being of a population. The data for this project will be placed in the public domain. In this project we will provide estimates of consequences of the December 26, 2004 tsunami for health, mortality, and other social and economic outcomes. We will identify the characteristics of the individuals who were hardest hit. These results are essential for designing effective relief efforts for this crisis and for future natural disasters.