Adaptation to Climate Extremes in Developing Countries : The Role of Education
Global climate models predict a rise in extreme weather in the next century. To better understand future interactions among adaptation costs, socioeconomic development, and climate change in developing countries, observed losses of life from floods...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100621113123 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3827 |
| Summary: | Global climate models predict a rise in
extreme weather in the next century. To better understand
future interactions among adaptation costs, socioeconomic
development, and climate change in developing countries,
observed losses of life from floods and droughts during
1960-2003 are modeled using three determinants: weather
events, income per capita, and female education. The
analysis reveals countries with high female education
weathered extreme weather events better than countries with
equivalent income and weather conditions. In that case, one
would expect resilience to increase with economic growth and
improvements in education. The relationship between
resilience in the face of extreme weather events and
increases in female education expenditure holds when
socioeconomic development continues but the climate does not
change, and socioeconomic development continues with weather
paths driven by "wet" and "dry" Global
Climate Models. Educating young women may be one of the best
climate change disaster prevention investments in addition
to high social rates of return in overall sustainable
development goals. |
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