Island countries are more vulnerable to government oppression after natural disasters – according to new research – and there are concerns that the increased frequency of weather-related events due to the climate crisis, could see the further rise of autocracies around the world.
The research, published this month in the Journal of Development Economics, examined data from 47 small island countries, including in the Pacific, south-east Asia and the Caribbean, from 1950-2020 to estimate the relationship between extreme weather events, such as cyclones and severe storms, and the level of democracy in a country.
