Publication: Zimbabwe : Personal and Institutional Safety Nets - The Long-Term Consequences of Failure
Date
2002-04
ISSN
Published
2002-04
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
The note looks at the evidence from the
Zimbabwe drought in 1994-95, and points at the effects of
weather-related shocks (although often other shocks as well
can drastically affect incomes), of which not all households
can smooth consumption as desired. Rather, many households
maintain consumption only at the expense of their long-term
income possibilities - e.g., by selling off productive
assets, or by reducing investments in the health or
education of their children. Unfortunately, while this
recuperation can be rapid for households who retained their
breeding stock, those who lost their breeding stock undergo
hardship in restocking their herds. This implies a barrier
to economic development of the very poor, which of course
also includes poor nutritional status of children, and
increased child mortality rates. Of particular concern is
the inadequate utilization of credit and insurance, as well
as the reliability on social assistance. The note outlines
the extreme effects of such weather shocks in the country,
specifying results for children's development,
schooling, and/or delayed entrance to school, as a
consequence of nutritional gaps, preventable provided
personal and institutional safety nets are effective.
Citation
“World Bank. 2002. Zimbabwe : Personal and Institutional Safety Nets - The Long-Term Consequences of Failure. Africa Region Findings & Good Practice Infobriefs; No. 205. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/f38f04a0-e6fe-5dc3-90a9-ca70b3abab8f License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”