Essays On Impacts Of Weather And Climate Extremes On Poverty-Related Needs Substantiated On Consumption

The climatic conditions significantly positively and negatively impact human needs.However,the overall impacts,the geographical impacts,and the seasonal impacts on different needs are not homogeneous facing different weather and climatic extremes.This study consisting of two essays empirically scrutinizes the impacts(regional and seasonal as well)of weather and climate extremes on basic human needs consumption employing a new poverty-related approach,Human Needs Index(HNI),in the United States of America.The first essay investigates the impact(overall,regional,and seasonal)of weather and climate extremes on basic human needs consumption by employing a new poverty index,i.e.,the Human Needs Index(HNI),in the United States of America.Detecting the contemporaneous correlations between errors,we apply second-generation unit root tests on monthly statewide panel data ranging from January 2004 to December 2018.The results obtained through cross-sectional time-series feasible generalized least square(i.e.,FGLS)regression suggest that human necessities statistically and significantly correlate with a positive response to the weather extremes(cold,low precipitation)and with extreme events(drought,flood).However,in the case of high precipitation the response is opposite to that.The seasonal variations in necessities indicate that there is an evidential escalation of the needs between July and December(January is taken as the reference month),but,in February,they substantially shrink.Furthermore,the regional implications imply that,with the West of the US taken as the reference region,needs are visibly augmented in the Midwest;conversely,in the east and the south,they are significantly decreased.We also observe that some interaction effect,such as high precipitation and personal income as an interaction term,significantly,but negatively,correlate with HNI,indicating a 0.025%shared effect.Contrary to these findings,high precipitation,coupled with supplements to wages and salaries,shows a positive joint association of 0.274%with HNI.Besides,low precipitation,coupled with the unemployment rate,personal income,and flooding,shows an additional positive and significant mutual effect,while low precipitation has a negative effect when coupled with supplements to wages and salaries.The corresponding estimated interacting coefficients are 3.77,scoring 0.053%,0.592%,and d 0.67%,respectively.In the second essay to determine the response of meal needs to climatic extremes this article employs the most direct and relevant indicator,meal needs substantiating on eating(i.e.,consumption)rather than income for food,in the U.S.The generalized least squares estimates through cross-sectional time-series feasible generalized least square(FGLS)regression utilizing monthly statewide balanced panel data delineate that meal needs significantly and positively react to temperature-related extremes(i.e.,meal needs increase)but negatively respond to precipitation-related extremes(i.e.,meal needs decrease),Whereas seasonally,January as a reference category,meal needs considerably elevate the whole year except February.Furthermore,regionally,as compared to the West,the eastern,the mid-western,and the southern regions extensively indicate higher meal needs in response to extremes.Besides,energy needs,as well as medical needs,play a significant role in decisive meal needs.The unemployment rate,income level,and supplements to lower wages and income communities also have far-reaching impacts on meal needs.Lastly,we even witness positive as well as the negative joint effect on meal needs as cold*unemployment,drought*personal income,and personal income*energy needs jointly cause to increase meal needs;however,personal income*supplements to lower wages and salary,individual income*medical needs,and supplements to lower wages and income*energy needs negatively affect(causes to reduce)meal needs.