Severity of climate change and deprivation outcomes: Micro-level assessment for sub-Saharan Africa

Poverty has been recognized as a key socioeconomic developmental issue that exacerbates peoples’ vulnerability to climate change. Given that sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been characterized as the region with the highest poverty levels over the years, people living in the region are more susceptible to the adverse implications of climate change relative to other world regions. Based on a micro-level dataset from 33 SSA countries, we examine how climate hazards (drought and flooding) affect various forms of deprivation (food, fuel, income, and water) to offer fresh insights into the poverty-impact of climate change. Using instrumental variable ordered probit and multilevel models, we show that the severity of drought and flooding significantly increase individuals’ likelihood of experiencing the various forms of deprivation. However, water deprivation appears not to be a consequence of flooding. Considering locational heterogeneity, the severity of drought and flooding on deprivation outcomes is more deleterious for rural dwellers compared to their urban counterparts. By and large, we provide evidence to argue that the individuals’ experiences of food, fuel, income, and water deprivation can be attributed to the incidence and severity of hazards induced by climate change.

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