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Climate-related disasters pose significant challenges to both traditional economic sectors and the burgeoning digital economy. This study investigates the impact of climate-related natural disasters on the digital economy using a dataset from 98 countries over the period 2013—2019. Our empirical results demonstrate that such disasters significantly impede digital economic development through three key channels: socioeconomic stress amplification, human capital depletion, and governmental stability disruption. The most severe adverse effects manifest in digital technology adoption and governance capabilities, with digitally advanced economies and OECD members exhibiting disproportionate vulnerability. Notably, thermal extremes and storms emerge as the most destructive disaster types. Our findings underscore the urgent need for policymakers to fortify digital infrastructure resilience, implement adaptive governance frameworks, and design targeted recovery strategies to strengthen national resilience in an era of climate uncertainty.
Chen et al. (Wed,) studied this question.