Vulnerability and Livelihoods before and after the Haiti Earthquake
Summary — This paper examines poverty and vulnerability dynamics in Haiti before and after the 2010 earthquake. It uses Demographic Health Survey data to analyze asset-poverty trends and a unique 2007 rural survey to assess the impact of idiosyncratic and covariate shocks on household economic well-being.
Key Findings
- Asset-based poverty decreased between 1995 and 2000, remaining fairly constant between 2000 and 2005.
- Idiosyncratic shocks, particularly health-related, have a larger impact on vulnerability to poverty than covariate shocks.
- Households that lost the most due to the earthquake recovered more rapidly, regardless of assistance, likely due to specific coping strategies.
Full Description
The study investigates the dynamics of poverty and vulnerability in Haiti using various datasets. It first analyzes pre-earthquake Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data to decompose household asset changes and simulate future poverty probabilities. It then uses a 2007 rural survey to decompose vulnerability to poverty into various sources, assessing the impact of idiosyncratic and covariate shocks on household economic well-being through two-level modeling. Finally, it characterizes asset-wealth after the 2010 earthquake based on a rapid food insecurity assessment, examining household recovery from the shock.