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Disaster Aid Targeting and Self-Reporting Bias: Natural Experimental Evidence from the Philippines

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Listed:
  • Yuki Higuchi

    (Graduate School of Economics, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-0802, Japan)

  • Nobuhiko Fuwa

    (Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

  • Kei Kajisa

    (School of International Politics, Economics and Communication, Aoyama Gakuin University; Tokyo 150-8366, Japan)

  • Takahiro Sato

    (Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki 036-8561, Japan)

  • Yasuyuki Sawada

    (Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

Abstract

Aid from the government can play a critical role as a risk-coping device in a post-disaster situation if the recipients are properly targeted. We analyze the accuracy of disaster aid targeting and self-reporting bias in disaster damage and aid receipt by combining (i) satellite images (objective information on flood damage), (ii) administrative records (objective information on post-flood aid receipt), and (iii) unique survey data (self-reported information on damage assessment and aid receipt) on a large-scale flooding in 2012 in the Philippines. We find that damage is over-reported while aid receipt is under-reported, and as a result, the estimated targeting accuracy based on self-reported information is substantially downward-biased.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuki Higuchi & Nobuhiko Fuwa & Kei Kajisa & Takahiro Sato & Yasuyuki Sawada, 2019. "Disaster Aid Targeting and Self-Reporting Bias: Natural Experimental Evidence from the Philippines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:771-:d:202803
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yusuke Kuroishi & Yasuyuki Sawada, 2019. "On the Stability of Preferences:Experimental Evidence from Two Disasters," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1130, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    disaster; flood; Habagat; aid targeting; self-reporting bias; Philippines;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
    • Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General
    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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