Addressing tropical cyclone risks: stratified for wellbeing and global policy coordination

Abstract

Tropical cyclones are one of nature’s most catastrophic occurrences, causing significant humanitarian crises, economic losses, and human fatalities, particularly in coastal regions. This paper explores the diverse challenges, such as health, inequality, and developmental issues caused by tropical cyclones. Accordingly, a structured literature review methodology was devised that focuses on inclusion and exclusion criteria using publications between 1994 and 2023 by including key search words. This review of published evidence from electronic bibliographic databases underscores the substantial effects of tropical cyclones on physical, mental and socio-economic well-being of the population. The disastrous situation caused by cyclones is exacerbated by inequalities in gender, education, livelihoods, economics, disabilities, and displacement. Exclusion of affected people from developmental programmes and inadequate policy formulation further compound the challenge of safeguarding the deprived. The paper highlights the crucial role of community participation in improving environmental governance and reducing disaster risk. It addresses adaptation strategies aimed at tackling vulnerabilities, aligning them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, it focuses on SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, innovation, and infrastructure, which emphasizes building resilient infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate action). The review shows that there is limited empirical evidence available, and most of the articles identified were published after 2010, indicating growing academic interest in empirical studies on tropical cyclones. Nevertheless, further research is required to comprehend how tropical cyclones affect the lives of people living in coastal regions to enhance risk reduction management and develop resilient adaptation strategies.