Climate Displacement and Health as a Non Economic Loss and Damage (NELD)
We are preparing to develop a journal article based on the master’s thesis “Health as a Non Economic Loss and Damage NELD: Quantifying the Impact of Floods and Droughts on the Health of Internally Displaced Persons in Somalia Using IMPACT Initiatives Data.”
The study combines quantitative analyses of more than 12 000 Somali households with a thematic review of NELD definitions, showing that climate related displacement worsens WASH and food security conditions and increases barriers to healthcare. These effects represent important health related non economic losses and damages.
Study overview
The study examines how climate-induced displacement, particularly due to floods and droughts, affects the health of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia, framed within the concept of non-economic loss and damage (NELD).
Using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative analysis of over 12,000 households from IMPACT Initiatives’ 2024 MSNA with a thematic review of NELD definitions, the research shows that IDPs face significantly greater barriers to healthcare than host communities. Climate-related displacement is associated with poorer food security and WASH conditions, which mediate its effects on unmet health needs. While environmentally displaced households report worse living conditions, non-environmentally displaced groups show higher unmet health needs overall. The literature review confirms that both health and displacement are central to NELD. These findings highlight that the health impacts of displacement in Somalia constitute important, yet often overlooked, non-economic losses and damages.
Project oversight
- Supervisor: Dr. Charlotte Scheerens (Ghent University) and Ms Hannah Marcus (Impact Initiatives).
- Team members: Mr. Klaas Van Haesebroeck (Ugent alumni), Prof. Dr. Nidhi Nagabhatla (United Nations University–CRIS), Dr. Robert Oakes (United Nations University–EHS) and Isha Mandal (Impact Initiatives)
