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In the eye of the storm: Firms and capital destruction in India

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  • Pelli, Martino
  • Tschopp, Jeanne
  • Bezmaternykh, Natalia
  • Eklou, Kodjovi M.

Abstract

The number and strength of climate-change-related disasters is increasing, and developing countries are bearing most of the brunt. In this paper we study how firms react to tropical cyclones in India. Using a panel of manufacturing firms between 1995 and 2006 and cyclone data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, we find that the average cyclone destroys 2.2% of a firm’s fixed assets and decreases its sales by 3.1%. The impacts of the average cyclone are temporary and disappear after one year. Focusing on the heterogeneity of these results by firm and industry quality, we also find that capital and sales reallocate toward better-performing industries. Within industry, firm quality only matters for the response of sales.

Suggested Citation

  • Pelli, Martino & Tschopp, Jeanne & Bezmaternykh, Natalia & Eklou, Kodjovi M., 2023. "In the eye of the storm: Firms and capital destruction in India," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:134:y:2023:i:c:s009411902200105x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2022.103529
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Storms; India; Firms; Capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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