| Research on the impact of natural disasters, while young, is starting to take shape as a field of study in political science. Already, a range of studies and methods have been produced, examining the varying effects of different types of disasters on economic growth. This thesis investigates the relationship between disaster frequency and economic growth rates for 127 countries over a thirty year period (1975-2005). This thesis examines if countries with a higher frequency of natural disasters experience a negative change in growth rates. The panel data fixed effects model used in this paper shows that a higher frequency of natural disasters has a statistically significant positive effect on economic growth rates. |
