IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0176885.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Natural disasters and indicators of social cohesion

Author

Listed:
  • Aitor Calo-Blanco
  • Jaromír Kovářík
  • Friederike Mengel
  • José Gabriel Romero

Abstract

Do adversarial environmental conditions create social cohesion? We provide new answers to this question by exploiting spatial and temporal variation in exposure to earthquakes across Chile. Using a variety of methods and controlling for a number of socio-economic variables, we find that exposure to earthquakes has a positive effect on several indicators of social cohesion. Social cohesion increases after a big earthquake and slowly erodes in periods where environmental conditions are less adverse. Our results contribute to the current debate on whether and how environmental conditions shape formal and informal institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Aitor Calo-Blanco & Jaromír Kovářík & Friederike Mengel & José Gabriel Romero, 2017. "Natural disasters and indicators of social cohesion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(6), pages 1-13, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0176885
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176885
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0176885
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0176885&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0176885?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eric Strobl, 2011. "The Economic Growth Impact of Hurricanes: Evidence from U.S. Coastal Counties," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(2), pages 575-589, May.
    2. David A. Fleming & Alberto Chong & Hern�n D. Bejarano, 2014. "Trust and Reciprocity in the Aftermath of Natural Disasters," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(11), pages 1482-1493, November.
    3. Anonymous, 1953. "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 145-147, February.
    4. Anonymous, 1953. "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 420-425, August.
    5. Anonymous, 1953. "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 588-592, November.
    6. Ernst Fehr & Simon Gächter, 2002. "Altruistic punishment in humans," Nature, Nature, vol. 415(6868), pages 137-140, January.
    7. Anonymous, 1969. "I. United Nations," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(4), pages 971-989, October.
    8. Hideki Toya & Mark Skidmore, 2014. "Do Natural Disasters Enhance Societal Trust?," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(2), pages 255-279, May.
    9. Eckel, Catherine C. & El-Gamal, Mahmoud A. & Wilson, Rick K., 2009. "Risk loving after the storm: A Bayesian-Network study of Hurricane Katrina evacuees," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 110-124, February.
    10. Ariel R. Belasen & Solomon W. Polachek, 2009. "How Disasters Affect Local Labor Markets: The Effects of Hurricanes in Florida," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(1).
    11. Sam Whitt & Rick K. Wilson, 2007. "Public Goods in The Field: Katrina Evacuees in Houston," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(2), pages 377-387, October.
    12. Solomon M. Hsiang & Kyle C. Meng & Mark A. Cane, 2011. "Civil conflicts are associated with the global climate," Nature, Nature, vol. 476(7361), pages 438-441, August.
    13. Drago Bergholt & Päivi Lujala, 2012. "Climate-related natural disasters, economic growth, and armed civil conflict," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 49(1), pages 147-162, January.
    14. Sachs, Jeffrey D. & Warner, Andrew M., 2001. "The curse of natural resources," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(4-6), pages 827-838, May.
    15. Anonymous, 1953. "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 275-279, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. J. T. Okedara & C. A. Okedara, 1992. "Mother-Tongue Literacy in Nigeria," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 520(1), pages 91-102, March.
    2. Hernán Bejarano & Joris Gillet & Ismael Rodriguez‐Lara, 2018. "Do Negative Random Shocks Affect Trust and Trustworthiness?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 85(2), pages 563-579, October.
    3. KASHIWAGI Yuzuka & TODO Yasuyuki, 2021. "How Do Disasters Change Inter-Group Perceptions? Evidence from the 2018 Sulawesi Earthquake," Discussion papers 21082, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    4. Johar, Meliyanni & Johnston, David W. & Shields, Michael A. & Siminski, Peter & Stavrunova, Olena, 2022. "The economic impacts of direct natural disaster exposure," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 26-39.
    5. David Castells-Quintana & Maria del Pilar Lopez-Uribe & Tom McDermott, 2015. "Climate change and the geographical and institutional drivers of economic development," GRI Working Papers 198, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    6. Lopez-Uribe, Maria del Pilar & Castells-Quintana, David & McDermott, Thomas K. J., 2017. "Geography, institutions and development: a review ofthe long-run impacts of climate change," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 65147, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Asadul Islam & C. Matthew Leister & Minhaj Mahmud & Paul A. Raschky, 2020. "Natural disaster and risk-sharing behavior: Evidence from rural Bangladesh," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 67-99, August.
    8. Kulanthaivelu, Eric, 2023. "The impact of tropical cyclones on income inequality in the U.S.: An empirical analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    9. Abdelaziz Alsharawy & Sheryl Ball & Alec Smith & Ross Spoon, 2021. "Fear of COVID-19 changes economic preferences: evidence from a repeated cross-sectional MTurk survey," Journal of the Economic Science Association, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 7(2), pages 103-119, December.
    10. Grimalda, Gianluca & Buchan, Nancy R. & Ozturk, Orgul G. & Pinate, Adriana C. & Urso, Giulia & Brewer, Marilynn B., 2021. "Exposure to COVID-19 is associated with increased altruism, particularly at the local level," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 248645, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    11. Rahman, Muhammad Habibur & Lee, Grace H.Y. & Shabnam, Nourin & Jayasinghe, Susantha, 2020. "Weathering trust," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 449-473.
    12. Biener, Christian & Landmann, Andreas, 2023. "Recovery mode: Non-cognitive skills after the storm," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    13. Chin‐Hsien Yu & Bruce A. McCarl & Jian‐Da Zhu, 2022. "Market response to typhoons: The role of information and expectations," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(2), pages 496-521, October.
    14. Adriana Kocornik-Mina & Thomas K. J. McDermott & Guy Michaels & Ferdinand Rauch, 2020. "Flooded Cities," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 35-66, April.
    15. KASHIWAGI Yuzuka & TODO Yasuyuki, 2022. "Trade Disruption and Risk Perception," Discussion papers 22086, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    16. Emek Basker & Javier Miranda, 2014. "Taken by Storm: Business Financing, Survival, and Contagion in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," Working Papers 1406, Department of Economics, University of Missouri, revised 23 Oct 2014.
    17. Wang, Haoluan, 2021. "Flood Your Neighbors: Spillover Effects of Levee Building," 95th Annual Conference, March 29-30, 2021, Warwick, UK (Hybrid) 311091, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    18. Heger, Martin Philipp & Neumayer, Eric, 2019. "The impact of the Indian Ocean tsunami on Aceh’s long-term economic growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    19. Becchetti, Leonardo & Castriota, Stefano & Conzo, Pierluigi, 2017. "Disaster, Aid, and Preferences: The Long-run Impact of the Tsunami on Giving in Sri Lanka," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 157-173.
    20. Ivo Steimanis & Max Burger & Bernd Hayo & Andreas Landmann & Bjoern Vollan, 2023. "A Storm Between Two Waves: Recovery Processes, Social Dynamics, and Heterogeneous Effects of Typhoon Haiyan on Social Preferences," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202319, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0176885. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.