We assess contemporary research on the societal implications of catastrophic weather events during the previous century, and we link it to changes in associated meteorological phenomena. The fundamental conclusion drawn from the literature is that most studies find that climate extremes cause significant losses in health, as measured by excess mortality. Most estimates of the costs of weather and climatic extremes show rising losses over the last several decades. The majority of related weather and climate extremes, on the other hand, (...) show no comparable increases over time. This shows that rising losses are mostly the result of increased susceptibility as a result of a range of developments, such as an increase in population in high-risk coastal areas. (shrink)

We review the literature for the long-term effects of war on human capital. We document the negative effects of exposure to war on individual health, prospective earnings, educational attainment, prospective earnings, and labor productivity in the long run. The findings call for immediate and effective actions to reduce the detrimental repercussions of war in both the short run and long run.

This paper reviews the literature for both the short-term and long-term effects of armed conflicts on human development. We identify the negative effects of exposure to armed conflicts on child health in the short run, and prospective earnings, educational attainment, labor productivity in the long run. The findings call for quick and effective actions to minimize the negative consequences of armed conflicts in both the short run and long run.