ERIC Number: ED672017
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Mar-9
Pages: 49
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Impact of Natural Disasters on Human Capital. EdWorkingPaper No. 22-548
Lucas Husted; Isaac M. Opper; R. Jisung Park
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
We show that natural disasters affect a region's aggregate human capital through at least four channels. In addition to causing out-migration, natural disasters reduce student achievement, lower high school graduation rates, and decrease post-secondary attendance. We estimate that disasters that cause at least $500 in per capita property damage reduce the net present value (NPV) of an affected county's human capital by an average of $505 per person. These negative effects on human capital are not restricted to large disasters: less severe events -- disasters with property damages of $100-$500 per capita -- also cause significant and persistent reductions in student achievement and post-secondary attendance.
Descriptors: High School Students, Natural Disasters, Academic Achievement, College Enrollment, Student Behavior, Student Attitudes, Behavior Change, Correlation, Human Capital, Student Mobility, Graduation Rate, Economic Impact
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A