DO NATURAL DISASTERS DETERIORATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY? EVIDENCE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Abstract

Natural disasters occur due to global environmental changes caused by industrial and land-use emissions of greenhouse gases. The natural disasters event including floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and droughts, lead to enormous damage and loss of the quality of the natural environment. The present study main focus is to explain the systematic relataionship between natural disasters and environmental quality in developing countries. The researchers gathered data on 129 developing countries from the years 2000 to 2024. The methodology of this study is based on advanced econometric techniques such as Method of Moments quantile regression (MMQR) and Bootstrap Quantile Regression (BSQR), to analyze the influence of natural disasters on the ecosystem and environmental quality. Based on the findings of this study, the estimation indicated that the natural disaster damages destroy natural capital and environmental resources, which tends to reduce environmental quality. Furthermore, the pollution and land degradation occurs aftermath of disaster events and destroy the ecological balance. These disruptions can weaken environmental management practices and reduce the ability of the ecosystem to recover quickly, leading to worse environmental quality standards. The study suggested that the government should ensure enforcement policies and regulatory measures to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters in developing countries. In-depth investigations are more important to detect the impact of severe weather outcomes. The strategic governance plans and mitigation measures also help in reducing environmental losses.