Enhancing Macroeconomic Resilience to Natural Disasters and Climate Change in the Small States of the Pacific

Enhancing Macroeconomic Resilience to Natural Disasters and Climate Change in the Small States of the Pacific PDF Author: Ezequiel Cabezon
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513525794
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 37

Book Description
Natural disasters and climate change are interrelated macro-critical issues affecting all Pacific small states to varying degrees. In addition to their devastating human costs, these events damage growth prospects and worsen countries’ fiscal positions. This is the first cross-country IMF study assessing the impact of natural disasters on growth in the Pacific islands as a group. A panel VAR analysis suggests that, for damage and losses equivalent to 1 percent of GDP, growth drops by 0.7 percentage point in the year of the disaster. We also find that, during 1980-2014, trend growth was 0.7 percentage point lower than it would have been without natural disasters. The paper also discusses a multi-pillar framework to enhance resilience to natural disasters at the national, regional, and multilateral levels and the importance of enhancing countries’ risk-management capacities. It highlights how this approach can provide a more strategic and less ad hoc framework for strengthening both ex ante and ex post resilience and what role the IMF can play.

Small States Resilience to Natural Disasters and Climate Change - Role for the IMF

Small States Resilience to Natural Disasters and Climate Change - Role for the IMF PDF Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1498345093
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 99

Book Description
Small developing states are disproportionately vulnerable to natural disasters. On average, the annual cost of disasters for small states is nearly 2 percent of GDP—more than four times that for larger countries. This reflects a higher frequency of disasters, adjusted for land area, as well as greater vulnerability to severe disasters. About 9 percent of disasters in small states involve damage of more than 30 percent of GDP, compared to less than 1 percent for larger states. Greater exposure to disasters has important macroeconomic effects on small states, resulting in lower investment, lower GDP per capita, higher poverty, and a more volatile revenue base.

Excerpt: Resilience and Growth in the Small States of the Pacific

Excerpt: Resilience and Growth in the Small States of the Pacific PDF Author: Hoe Ee Khor
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484319834
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 61

Book Description
This is a prepublication excerpt of Resilience and Growth in the Small States of the Pacific.

A Possible Approach to Fiscal Rules in Small Islands — Incorporating Natural Disasters and Climate Change

A Possible Approach to Fiscal Rules in Small Islands — Incorporating Natural Disasters and Climate Change PDF Author: Ryota Nakatani
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513514881
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 28

Book Description
A big challenge for the economic development of small island countries is dealing with external shocks. The Pacific Islands are vulnerable to natural disasters, climate change, commodity price changes, and uncertain donor grants. The question that arises is how should small developing countries formulate a fiscal policy to achieve economic stability and fiscal sustainability when prone to various shocks? We study how natural disasters affect long-term debt dynamics and propose fiscal policy rules that could help insulate the economy from such unexpected shocks. We propose fiscal rules to address these shocks and uncertainties using the example of Papua New Guinea. Our study finds the advantages of expenditure rules, especially a recurrent expenditure rule based on non-resource and non-grant revenue, interdependently determined by government debt and budget balance targets with expected disaster shocks. This paper contributes to the literature and policy dialogue by theoretically analyzing the impact of natural disasters on debt sustainability and proposing fiscal rules against natural disasters and climate changes. Our fiscal policy framework is practically applicable for many developing countries facing increasing frequency and impact of natural disasters and climate change. Our rules-based fiscal framework is crucial for sustainable and countercyclical macroeconomic policies to build resilience against devastating natural hazards.

Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Small States

Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Small States PDF Author: Wonderful Hope Khonje
Publisher: Commonwealth Secretariat
ISBN: 1849291896
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 252

Book Description
Strengthening Disaster Resilience in Small States: Commonwealth Perspectives offers timely and expert analysis of differentiated exposure of small states to natural disasters, including an examination of specific interventions for strengthening small states’ resilience to this phenomenon

The Economic Impact of Natural Disasters in Pacific Island Countries: Adaptation and Preparedness

The Economic Impact of Natural Disasters in Pacific Island Countries: Adaptation and Preparedness PDF Author: Dongyeol Lee
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484356381
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 37

Book Description
Pacific island countries are highly vulnerable to various natural disasters which are destructive, unpredictable and occur frequently. The frequency and scale of these shocks heightens the importance of medium-term economic and fiscal planning to minimize the adverse impact of disasters on economic development. This paper identifies the intensity of natural disasters for each country in the Pacific based on the distribution of damage and population affected by disasters, and estimates the impact of disasters on economic growth and international trade using a panel regression. The results show that “severe” disasters have a significant and negative impact on economic growth and lead to a deterioration of the fiscal and trade balance. We also find that the negative impact on growth is stronger for more intense disasters. Going further this paper proposes a simple and consistent method to adjust IMF staff’s economic projections and debt sustainability analysis for disaster shocks for the Pacific islands. Better incorporating the economic impact of natural disasters in the medium- and long-term economic planning would help policy makers improve fiscal policy decisions and to be better adapted and prepared for natural disasters.

Climate and Disaster Resilience Financing in Small Island Developing States

Climate and Disaster Resilience Financing in Small Island Developing States PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264266917
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 70

Book Description
Storms, hurricanes, and cyclones have been a feature of life on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) for centuries. But climate change is now increasing the intensity of these disasters, as well as creating new developmental challenges - like rising sea levels and increasing ocean acidity - ...

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands PDF Author: International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1498371868
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 94

Book Description
This paper presents an overview of Solomon Islands’ economy. Although Solomon Islands is a small island state, low-income country that is severely affected by external shocks, including commodity price declines, natural disasters, and climate change, it has achieved considerable gains in terms of macroeconomic stability under the Extended Credit Facility program. Despite the low access, the program has been effective in catalyzing donor support. Economic growth in 2015 is estimated at 31⁄4 percent. Near-term prospects remain favorable but new sources of growth are needed over the medium term. Key policy recommendations have been discussed in the paper to further strengthen the economy of Solomon Islands.

International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2016

International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2016 PDF Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1498349277
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
The year was marked by difficult challenges and milestone achievements. To reinvigorate modest growth at a time of uncertainty about a complicated global economy, the IMF membership endorsed a three-pronged approach of monetary, fiscal, and structural policies to get the world economy back on a stronger and safer growth track. Highlights of the IMF’s work during the year included entry into effect of its quota and governance reforms approved in 2010, which increase the Fund’s core resources and make it more representative of the membership; commitments for increased financial support, policy advice, expertise, and training to help low-income developing countries achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals; analysis of the international monetary system; inclusion of the Chinese currency in the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right; and policy advice on the economic repercussions of mass migration of refugees from Syria and other conflict-afflicted states. The IMF Annual Report, which covers the period May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2016, discusses all of these issues, plus a wide range of policy matters that the Executive Board addressed during the year.

Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean

Unleashing Growth and Strengthening Resilience in the Caribbean PDF Author: Mr.Krishna Srinivasan
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484315197
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 378

Book Description
This book provides a diagnosis of the central economic and financial challenges facing Caribbean policymakers and offers broad policy recommendations for promoting a sustained and inclusive increase in economic well-being. The analysis highlights the need for Caribbean economies to make a concerted effort to break the feedback loops between weak macroeconomic fundamentals, notably pertaining to fiscal positions and financial sector strains, and structural impediments, such as high electricity costs, limited financial deepening, violent crime, and brain drain, which have depressed private investment and growth. A recurring theme in the book is the need for greater regional coordination in finding solutions to address the Caribbean’s shared and intertwined macroeconomic and structural challenges. The analysis suggests that strengthening regional and global market integration of Caribbean economies would provide an impetus to sustained growth in incomes and jobs. Greater regional and global economic integration would also facilitate structural transformation and a shift toward new economic activities, resulting in more diversified and less vulnerable economies. A central challenge for the Caribbean is thus to come together as a region, overcome the limitations posed by size, and garner the benefits of globalization. Efforts should build on existing regional arrangements; accelerating progress in implementing these agreements would stimulate trade. Policymakers could also promote deeper integration with Latin America and the rest of the world by pursuing new trade agreements, leveraging current agreements more effectively, or deepening them to include areas beyond traditional trade issues, and developing port and transport infrastructure.