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Extreme weather events and natural disasters, like floods and earthquakes, can cause great losses in human and physical capital. The impact of these events can be particularly disastrous on developing countries that are often under-prepared for such emergencies. Catastrophes have often severely impacted poor and vulnerable populations, and have led to recurrent humanitarian disasters in the past years. They intensify existing vulnerabilities in communities such as lack of proper shelter, livelihoods and sanitation, thereby contributing to the spread of disease and malnutrition.

This impact evaluation sheds light on whether and how vulnerabilities to negative shocks can be reduced. To study this question, we collaborated with ACTED, a humanitarian non-governmental organisation that operates in areas affected by political and economic crises as well as those affected by natural disasters. It has vast experience …