NATURAL DISASTERS AND AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Abstract

The study aims to identify and explain the influence of natural disasters on agricultural output in developing countries. Natural disasters have been characterized as one of the most critical challenges affecting developing economies. Many types of natural disaster events such as droughts, storms, wildfires, extreme floods and earthquakes, leading to a significantly impact on agricultural output, especially among vulnerable rural populations in developing economies. Our study uses recent twenty-first-century data for developing countries, covering the period between 2000 to 2024. The researchers employ advanced econometric techniques including the Method of Moments quantile regression (MMQR) and Bootstrap Quantile Regression (BSQR) to determine the relationship between variables. The findings reveal that natural disasters and various climate change events have adverse effects on agricultural output by damaging crops, destroying agricultural assets, rural infrastructure and causing food shortage problems in developing countries. Based on the findings, the study recommended that policymakers promote effective disaster response mechanisms, early warning systems, disaster relief funds, drought-resistant crops and crop insurance programs are essential for minimizing disaster-related losses.