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Climate Shocks and Subjective Wellbeing in Small Island Developing States: Implications for Subnational Foreign Aid

Project description

Subjective well-being as a key indicator of climate change impact

Climate change has led to more frequent and severe climate shocks, causing significant harm to livelihoods, communities, and businesses, as well as increasing future risks. While subjective well-being is a key indicator of societal progress, it is often overlooked when assessing the impacts of these shocks. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CLIMWELB project will investigate how climate shocks affect subjective well-being, the mechanisms behind these effects, and how subnational foreign aid can help mitigate the negative impacts. The project will focus on small island developing states, which are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks but also receive relatively high levels of foreign aid.

Objective

Subjective well-being (SWB) is gaining recognition as a key indicator of societal progress, yet it is often overlooked in assessments of the impacts of climate shocks, which are increasing in both severity and frequency. This research, CLIMWELB, aims to fill this gap by pursuing three specific research objectives: 1) examining the impact of climate shocks—drought, flooding, and extreme temperatures—on SWB, 2) investigating the mechanisms through which these shocks affect SWB, and 3) exploring the role of subnational foreign aid in mitigating the potential adverse effects of climate shocks on SWB. CLIMWELB will focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which rank among the most vulnerable globally to climate shocks and receive disproportionately higher levels of foreign aid relative to their economies. To achieve the specific research objectives, CLIMWELB will employ quasi-experimental methods, machine learning techniques, and a suite of robustness checks. Geocoded data on climate shocks and subnational foreign aid will be extracted from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and AidData project databases, respectively, while geocoded household data will be drawn from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), the World Bank Microdata Library, and the Afrobarometer database. CLIMWELB will shape scientific discourse by providing the first evidence of the impact of climate shocks on SWB in vulnerable contexts such as SIDS, and offer pioneering insights into the role of subnational aid as a mitigating factor. In addition, CLIMWELB's findings will interest various stakeholders—including SIDS governments, foreign aid donors, international organizations (UN and EU agencies), NGOs, and international financial institutions (World Bank)—and inform their policies aimed at safeguarding small island communities and other vulnerable contexts.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITA TA MALTA
Net EU contribution
€ 256 642,80
Address
TAL OROQQ
MSD 2080 MSIDA
Malta
Region
Malta Malta Malta
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Partners (2)