# Flood Disasters and Health Among the Urban Poor

**Authors:** Michelle Escobar Carias, David Johnston, Rachel Knott, Rohan Sweeney  
**arXiv:** [2111.05455](https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.05455)  
**Date:** 2021-11-09  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2111.05455v2/

## Key points

- Millions of people living in poverty in urban areas are forced to reside in disaster-prone areas
- This can have detrimental effects on child nutrition and increase adult morbidity
- Little is known about the impact on mental health for those living in slums
- A study was conducted to estimate the effects of flood disasters on the mental and physical health of poor adults and children in urban Indonesia using longitudinal datasets - the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) and the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environment (RISE) survey
- The IFLS tested how exposure to floods affects physical health of adults and children as well as mental health of adults living below the poverty line
- The RISE survey collected data twice per year from a sample of informal settlements in Makassar, Indonesia that experienced a major flood event in January 2019
- Exposure to flooding has substantial negative impacts on physical health that mostly dissipate within 12 months of the shock; however, individuals beyond the poverty threshold report no significant changes in health status associated with flood exposure
- Frequent sampling is essential for identifying immediate health effects
- The study provides an improved understanding of morbidities experienced by populations most vulnerable to increased disaster occurrence due to climate change.

## Summary

Millions of people living in poverty in urban areas are forced to reside in disaster-prone areas, which can have detrimental effects on child nutrition and increase adult morbidity. However, little is known about the impact on mental health for those living in slums. To address this gap, a study was conducted to estimate the effects of flood disasters on the mental and physical health of poor adults and children in urban Indonesia using longitudinal datasets - the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) and the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environment (RISE) survey. The IFLS tested how exposure to floods affects physical health of adults and children as well as mental health of adults living below the poverty line. The RISE survey collected data twice per year from a sample of informal settlements in Makassar, Indonesia that experienced a major flood event in January 2019. Fixed-effects analysis showed that exposure to flooding has substantial negative impacts on physical health that mostly dissipate within 12 months of the shock; however, individuals beyond the poverty threshold report no significant changes in health status associated with flood exposure. Frequent sampling is essential for identifying immediate health effects. The study provides an improved understanding of morbidities experienced by populations most vulnerable to increased disaster occurrence due to climate change.