This is a wide investigatory study on the economic impacts of natural disasters in south-east Asia and the Pacific. The paper is one of three case studies, examining experiences in Fiji, the Philippines and Viet Nam.

The case studies focus on the disaggregated impacts of natural disasters on various sectors of each economy and the role of government policy. They assess the factors determining the extent of vulnerability of each economy and whether and why that vulnerability has changed over time. They also consider how the economic consequences of disasters could be mitigated and the degree of attention currently attached to natural disasters in economic policy-making and planning