The note looks at the evidence from theZimbabwe drought in 1994-95, and points at the effects ofweather-related shocks (although often other shocks as wellcan drastically affect incomes), of which not all householdscan smooth consumption as desired. Rather, many householdsmaintain consumption only at the expense of their long-termincome possibilities - e.g., by selling off productiveassets, or by reducing investments in the health oreducation of their children. Unfortunately, while thisrecuperation can be rapid for households who retained theirbreeding stock, those who lost their breeding stock undergohardship in restocking their herds. This implies a barrierto economic development of the very poor, which of coursealso includes poor nutritional status of children, andincreased child mortality rates. Of particular concern isthe inadequate utilization of credit and insurance, as wellas the reliability on social assistance. The note outlinesthe extreme effects of such weather shocks in the country,specifying results for children's development,schooling, and/or delayed entrance to school, as aconsequence of nutritional gaps, preventable providedpersonal and institutional safety nets are effective.
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