Economic Well-being in the Aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project will investigate the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on economic well-being in Sumatra, Indonesia using multivariate methods and data from a unique longitudinal household survey. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent human history, claiming over 200 thousand lives in ten countries and destroying the livelihood-supporting resources of many affected households. Previous studies of the human impacts of natural disasters have largely relied on small scale and non-representative data sources due to the difficulty in anticipating natural disasters and in collecting survey data in their wake. This project draws on a longitudinal survey of 10,000 households in Sumatra, Indonesia who were interviewed prior to the tsunami and each year since. I will use this dataset and a series of multivariate analyses to examine the impacts of the tsunami on multiple measures of economic well-being and to describe the pattern of recovery in assets, income and consumption. Specifically, this project will investigate: (1) the vulnerability of individuals and households to economic losses due to the tsunami; (2) economic coping strategies in the wake of the tsunami; and (3) trajectories of economic recovery in the context of widespread reconstruction efforts. The results of these analyses will inform important debates regarding the resilience of households to natural disasters and the role of post disaster reconstruction in economic recovery. This research will draw on my previous training and experience in human-environment geography and social demography and on my current research using this dataset to investigate post-tsunami human displacement. To make this research possible, I will conduct fieldwork in Indonesia, be mentored by four prominent population scientists, and receive significant additional training in development economics and econometrics in Duke University's Department of Economics. This training and research experience will prepare me to independently investigate a broad array of questions in population, environment and development, and to develop an R01 proposal to initiate a large-scale longitudinal data collection in Ecuador incorporating population-environment approaches. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami caused widespread devastation of coastal areas in Sumatra, Indonesia and destroyed the livelihood-supporting resources of many households. The proposed research will use a large survey dataset to investigate how the tsunami affected the material well-being of surviving households and individuals in Sumatra and to examine their recoveries over time.