Wildfire economic research highlights hidden community costs

Dr. Soodeh Saberian, the Canada Research Chair in Economics of Climate Change, Disasters and Inequality at Thompson Rivers University, is researching the unrecorded economic consequences of wildfires.

While traditional metrics focus on hectares burned and buildings destroyed, Saberian aims to quantify the “invisible damage” caused by environmental disasters. This includes the socio-economic impacts of prolonged smoke events, such as increased emergency room visits for respiratory and mental health issues, the cessation of outdoor labor, and lost wages for workers unable to afford time off.

Additionally, the research examines broader community disruptions, including decreased revenue for the tourism and restaurant sectors and the long-term effects on households and local economies. By using comparative data between affected and unaffected communities, the study seeks to make these hidden costs visible to inform better decision-making.