The main motivation of this paper is to shed new light on the problem of spatial identification of urban and rural areas globally, and to provide a compatible disaggregation framework for linking associated country-specific, non-spatial data compilations, such as building type inventories....

In recent decades, hurricane frequency and intensity have increased in the Caribbean basin. From 2000 to 2012, more than 100 hurricanes impacted lives, infrastructure, gross domestic product, and natural environments along the coastal shorelines. Recent academic references mention that the dense...

High resolution datasets of population density which accurately map sparsely distributed human populations do not exist at a global scale. Typically, population data is obtained using censuses and statistical modeling. More recently, methods using remotely-sensed data have emerged, capable of...

Sierra Leone is prone to natural hazards such as floods, landslides, tropical storms, coastal erosion, and droughts that cause severe economic damage and loss of lives with disproportionate effects on the poorest and most vulnerable. Climate change and underlying socioeconomic factors, such as...

The use of gas fermentation for the production of low carbon biofuels such as ethanol or butanol from lignocellulosic biomass is an area currently undergoing intensive research and development, with the first commercial units expected to commence operation in the near future. In this process,...

This paper introduces a novel top-down approach to geospatially identify and distinguish areas of mixed use from predominantly residential areas within urban agglomerations. Under the framework of the World Bank's Central American Country Disaster Risk Profiles (CDRP) initiative, a disaggregated...

In the past decades, natural disasters have caused substantial human and economic losses in Central America, with strong adverse impacts on gross domestic product per capita, income, and poverty reduction. This study provides a regional perspective on the impact of hurricane windstorms on...

Central America is particularly prone to tropical storms and hurricanes. The prevailing conditions of poverty and socioeconomic inequality in most countries of the region make their exposed population especially vulnerable to those adverse natural events. This paper quantifies the causal effects...

Weather-related shocks and climate variability contribute to hampering progress toward poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa. Droughts have a direct impact on weather-dependent livelihood means and the potential to affect key dimensions of households' welfare, including food consumption. Yet,...

The Dominican Republic is highly exposed to adverse natural events putting the country at risk of losing hard-won economic, social, and environmental gains due to the impacts of disasters. This study uses monthly nightlight composites in conjunction with a wind field model to econometrically...