12 Feb 2026
| 12 Feb 2026
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS).
Brief communication: Drought economic assessments must include human health impacts
Abstract. The economic valuation of drought-related health interventions reveals that ensuring groundwater access during severe droughts could avert significant losses in Northeast Brazil. Estimated benefits from reduced diarrhea hospitalizations and mortality total 9.92 % of local GDP. When scaled to state level, avoidable losses may reach USD 1.15 billion, which are comparable to the economic drought’s impacts on productive sectors, such as agriculture, livestock, and industry, underscoring the macroeconomic relevance of investing in resilient water infrastructure in a health-promoting perspective.
Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this paper. While Copernicus Publications makes every effort to include appropriate place names, the final responsibility lies with the authors. Views expressed in the text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.
