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Learning From Natural Experiments to Accelerate Demographic Research on Climate‐Related Threats to Human Populations.

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Title: Learning From Natural Experiments to Accelerate Demographic Research on Climate‐Related Threats to Human Populations.
Authors: Fussell, Elizabeth1 (AUTHOR) elizabeth_fussell@brown.edu, Burrows, Kate2 (AUTHOR), Sastry, Narayan3 (AUTHOR)
Source: WIREs: Climate Change. Nov/Dec2025, Vol. 16 Issue 6, p1-19. 19p.
Subject Terms: *Climate change, *Demographic research, *Hurricane Katrina, 2005, *Disasters, *Health impact assessment, *Population dynamics, *Hazards, *Tsunami damage
Geographic Terms: Indonesia, New Orleans (La.)
Abstract: Climate change has increased the destructive force of natural hazards and the occurrence of disasters that damage housing and infrastructure and threaten the health and wellbeing of human populations. Demographic research on disasters advances understanding of climate impacts on coastal populations exposed to tropical cyclones, storm surge, and flooding. However, rigorous study designs that allow for inferences about causal mechanisms are needed. We review natural experimental study design elements and research findings from four demographic surveys disrupted by large‐scale disasters. Two studies focus on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans' population and the other two on the 2004 Indian Ocean and 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami effects in Indonesia and Japan, respectively. Three elements of the studies' designs support the most novel findings: measures of pre‐ and post‐disaster demographic and health outcomes; multiple post‐disaster follow‐up data waves; and measures of variability in hazard exposure and impact. Two other design elements, population representation and the existence of an unexposed control group, are less critical. Study results advanced knowledge of the effects of damage‐related displacement on mental and physical health and wellbeing, as well as harder‐to‐observe effects of disaster exposure on mortality and fertility outcomes. Acknowledging that natural experiments are rare, we evaluate opportunities for research on hazard exposures and population outcomes using administrative data, existing panel surveys, and new retrospective surveys. Linkage of these data sources to hazard exposure data can expand geographic and population coverage in this field and accelerate understanding of climate‐related impacts on population outcomes. This article is categorized under: The Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Sociology/Anthropology of Climate KnowledgeAssessing Impacts of Climate Change > Observed Impacts of Climate ChangePerceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Behavior Change and Responses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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  Availability: 0
Header DbId: enr
DbLabel: Energy & Power Source
An: 190515303
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Learning From Natural Experiments to Accelerate Demographic Research on Climate‐Related Threats to Human Populations.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fussell%2C+Elizabeth%22">Fussell, Elizabeth</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> elizabeth_fussell@brown.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Burrows%2C+Kate%22">Burrows, Kate</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sastry%2C+Narayan%22">Sastry, Narayan</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22WIREs%3A+Climate+Change%22">WIREs: Climate Change</searchLink>. Nov/Dec2025, Vol. 16 Issue 6, p1-19. 19p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+change%22">Climate change</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Demographic+research%22">Demographic research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hurricane+Katrina%2C+2005%22">Hurricane Katrina, 2005</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disasters%22">Disasters</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+impact+assessment%22">Health impact assessment</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Population+dynamics%22">Population dynamics</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hazards%22">Hazards</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tsunami+damage%22">Tsunami damage</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Indonesia%22">Indonesia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+Orleans+%28La%2E%29%22">New Orleans (La.)</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Climate change has increased the destructive force of natural hazards and the occurrence of disasters that damage housing and infrastructure and threaten the health and wellbeing of human populations. Demographic research on disasters advances understanding of climate impacts on coastal populations exposed to tropical cyclones, storm surge, and flooding. However, rigorous study designs that allow for inferences about causal mechanisms are needed. We review natural experimental study design elements and research findings from four demographic surveys disrupted by large‐scale disasters. Two studies focus on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans' population and the other two on the 2004 Indian Ocean and 2011 Tōhoku Tsunami effects in Indonesia and Japan, respectively. Three elements of the studies' designs support the most novel findings: measures of pre‐ and post‐disaster demographic and health outcomes; multiple post‐disaster follow‐up data waves; and measures of variability in hazard exposure and impact. Two other design elements, population representation and the existence of an unexposed control group, are less critical. Study results advanced knowledge of the effects of damage‐related displacement on mental and physical health and wellbeing, as well as harder‐to‐observe effects of disaster exposure on mortality and fertility outcomes. Acknowledging that natural experiments are rare, we evaluate opportunities for research on hazard exposures and population outcomes using administrative data, existing panel surveys, and new retrospective surveys. Linkage of these data sources to hazard exposure data can expand geographic and population coverage in this field and accelerate understanding of climate‐related impacts on population outcomes. This article is categorized under: The Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Sociology/Anthropology of Climate KnowledgeAssessing Impacts of Climate Change > Observed Impacts of Climate ChangePerceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Behavior Change and Responses [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=enr&AN=190515303
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/wcc.70031
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Demographic research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hurricane Katrina, 2005
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disasters
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health impact assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Population dynamics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hazards
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tsunami damage
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Indonesia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: New Orleans (La.)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Learning From Natural Experiments to Accelerate Demographic Research on Climate‐Related Threats to Human Populations.
        Type: main
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      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Fussell, Elizabeth
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            NameFull: Burrows, Kate
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            NameFull: Sastry, Narayan
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            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Text: Nov/Dec2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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              Value: 16
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              Value: 6
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            – TitleFull: WIREs: Climate Change
              Type: main
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