Economic Effects of 1978 Tabas Earthquake (Iran)

Abstract Background: Natural disasters are one of the most important adverse health events. The earthquake that happened in the city of Tabas in 1978 was ranked third in terms of number of deaths caused by natural disasters over the past 100 years in Iran. This study was aimed to evaluate the economic and human capital consequences of earthquake in Tabas district. Method: We used a two percent random sample of Iran Census Dataset from 2006 to run a difference-in-difference study. The difference- 􀁌􀁑􀀐􀁇􀁌􀁉􀁉􀁈􀁕􀁈􀁑􀁆􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁈􀁗􀁋􀁒􀁇􀁒􀁏􀁒􀁊􀁜􀀃􀁚􀁄􀁖􀀃􀁘􀁖􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀁈􀁙􀁄􀁏􀁘􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀃􀀋􀀔􀀌􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁐􀁈􀁄􀁑􀀃􀁆􀁋􀁄􀁑􀁊􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁙􀁄􀁕􀁌􀁄􀁅􀁏􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁆􀁏􀁘􀁇􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁜􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁖􀁆􀁋􀁒􀁒􀁏􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁚􀁈􀁄􀁏􀁗􀁋􀀞􀀃􀀋􀀕􀀌􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁒􀁇􀁇􀁖􀀃 changes in primary school completion and literacy of people born (5 or 10 years) post-event versus (5 or 10 years) pre-event in Tabas compared with the same values for those born in the same period of time in the control districts. Results: Differential increase in years of schooling for being born 10 years after the earthquake versus in 10 years before earthquake in Tabas was one-third of a school year less than in the control districts. There were 89.5% and 65.4% decrease in odds that an individual is 􀁏􀁌􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀓􀀑􀀕􀀙􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀓􀀑􀀔􀀓􀀗􀀃􀁄􀁙􀁈􀁕􀁄􀁊􀁈􀀃􀁇􀁈􀁆􀁕􀁈􀁄􀁖􀁈􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀀶􀀨􀀶􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁇􀁈􀁛􀀃􀁉􀁒􀁕􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁒􀁖􀁈􀀃􀁅􀁒􀁕􀁑􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀀷􀁄􀁅􀁄􀁖􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁓􀁈􀁕􀁌􀁒􀁇􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀀘􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀔􀀓􀀃􀁜􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁓􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁌􀁙􀁈􀁏􀁜􀀏􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁓􀁄􀁕􀁈􀁇􀀃 with control districts. Conclusion:􀀃􀀷􀁄􀁅􀁄􀁖􀀃􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁗􀁋􀁔􀁘􀁄􀁎􀁈􀀃􀁋􀁄􀁇􀀃􀁑􀁈􀁊􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁙􀁈􀀃􀁏􀁒􀁑􀁊􀀐􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁐􀀃􀁈􀁉􀁉􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁋􀁘􀁐􀁄􀁑􀀃􀁆􀁄􀁓􀁌􀁗􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁚􀁈􀁄􀁏􀁗􀁋􀀑􀀃􀀷􀁋􀁌􀁖􀀃􀁖􀁗􀁘􀁇􀁜􀀃􀁆􀁄􀁑􀀃􀁋􀁈􀁏􀁓􀀃􀁒􀁉􀂿􀁆􀁌􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁄􀁘􀁗􀁋􀁒􀁕􀁌􀁗􀁌􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃 promote educational and economic plans and to implement comprehensive reforms in earthquake-stricken areas.