|
on Development |
| By: | Mélanie Gittard (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Irène Hu (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) |
| Abstract: | In the midst of Africa's mining boom, communities downstream from industrial mines face increased exposure to toxic waste. Yet, the effects of induced water pollution on the local population's health have not been quantified at the continental scale of Africa, due to data limitation and non-random exposure. This paper investigates this question using a new quasi-experimental design and a novel dataset detailing the location and opening dates of all known industrial mines, obtained through intensive manual data collection. We combine geo-coded information on 2, 016 industrial mines with health outcomes from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 1986 to 2018 in 26 African countries. Through a staggered difference-in-difference strategy, we compare villages downstream and upstream of mines before and after their opening and find a 25% increase in 24-month mortality rates downstream. The effect is mainly observed among children who were no longer breastfed, confirming that water pollution drives the results. Our analysis rules out other mechanisms like fertility changes, access to facilities, in-migration, conflicts and income effects. The impact intensifies during mine operation and high international mineral prices, is higher in densely mined regions, and fades out with distance. From a public policy perspective, this paper underscores the significant local costs of mine openings on the environment and the health of the surrounding populations. |
| Keywords: | Health, Water Pollution, Natural Resource, Environmental Degradation, Africa, Industrial Mining |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:ciredw:halshs-04685390 |
| By: | Lukas Vashold (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business); Gustav Pirich (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business); Maximilian Heinze (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business); Nikolas Kuschnig (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business) |
| Abstract: | Minerals are essential to fuel the green transition, can foster local employment and facilitate economic development. However, their extraction is linked to several negative social and environmental externalities. These are particularly poorly understood in a development context, undermining efforts to address and internalize them. In this paper, we exploit the discontinuous locations of mines along rivers and their basins to identify causal effects on agricultural yields in Africa. We find considerable impacts on vegetation and yields downstream, which are mediated by water pollution and only dissipate slowly with distance. Our findings suggest that pollution from mines may play a role in the limited adoption of intensive agriculture. They underscore an urgent need for domestic regulations and international governance to limit negative externalities from mining in vulnerable regions. |
| Keywords: | pollution, agriculture, river basin, mining, earth observation |
| JEL: | Q53 O13 Q15 C23 |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wiw:wiwwuw:wuwp368 |
| By: | Bleck, Jaimie; Carillo, Lucia; Gottlieb, Jessica; Kosec, Katrina; Kyle, Jordan; Soumano, Moumouni |
| Abstract: | We surveyed 2, 919 community leaders across seven regions of Mali to provide insights on the prevalence and severity of shocks and crises across localities; which types of shocks and crises are most difficult from which to recover; the formal and informal ways in which local actors are involved in aid distribution systems; and the types of programming local actors view as most beneficial for promoting resilience. Despite increasing prevalence of conflict across localities, leaders predominately cited climate-related shocks as the most difficult from which to recover— especially droughts. We find that localities vary in the inclusiveness of local governance around aid distribution: while elected mayors are almost always involved, traditional leaders, women’s group and youth leaders in villages, civil servants, and civil society leaders are each involved in 40–60% of localities. We used both a budget allocation exercise and an experimental game in which we introduced the concept of anticipatory action (AA) programming—aid that is “triggered†by an early warning signal to arrive before a shock and mitigate its worst effects—to probe preferences over aid modality. We found that leaders see value in balancing investment across resilience programming (including AA) and humanitarian response, especially food aid. However, there is some important variation between village- and commune-level officials: village-level leaders are more likely to prioritize aid modalities that target households directly, like food aid and cash transfers, while commune-level leaders are more likely to prioritize risk prevention trainings. Our findings have important policy implications for promoting local resilience in Mali, including the importance of investing more in drought resilience, engaging actors at different levels of local governance who have different information and perspectives, and simultaneously investing in capacity-building around early warning system accuracy and dissemination. |
| Keywords: | governance; climate; conflicts; resilience; Africa; Western Africa; Mali |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2272 |
| By: | Shreya Biswas; Upasak Das; Sandhya Garg (Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi) |
| Abstract: | Forests are vital for environmental and health benefits, making forest management a top priority for policymakers. Using datasetsthat combine remote sensing forest data and temporal state assembly election information, we investigate the role of graduate politicians in promoting growth of forest cover in India. We employ regression discontinuity design using close elections between graduate and non-graduate politicians to tease out the causal effects. Our findings reveal a significant increase in forest cover growth in constituencies led by graduate politicians. On exploring the reasons, we find that higher aggregate demand for forest products across the country can be one of the drivers of the increase in forest growth. This increase in forest growth also explains why constituencies led by educated politicians may tend to show higher growth in economic activity and exhibit increased employment opportunities in forest-related industries. Nevertheless, we also provide suggestive evidence highlighting the possbility of environmental awareness among educated leaders driving their forestation efforts |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:awe:wpaper:463 |
| By: | Mélanie Gittard (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | Western African Sahel faced severe droughts in the 1980s, affecting agricultural production and food security. In recent decades, farmers have faced uncertainty in the timing and amount of rainy seasons and are confronted with erratic rainfall with high interannual variations. Can the experience of past dry events reduce the vulnerability of households to short-term rainfall shocks? In this paper, I match three waves of panel household surveys focusing on agriculture in Nigeria (GHS, from 2010-2016) and high temporal resolution precipitation data set from the Climate Hazard Center (CHIRPS). I show evidence of the extreme importance of the long-dry period of the 1980s and identify more recent droughts in 2013/2015, which are in line with a change in the characteristics of the rainfall trends. Through a two-way-fixed effect strategy, I exploit the spatial variation of the exposition to the 2015 drought. First, I look at the short-term effects of being hit by a drought on agricultural production and food security indicators. I show that being hit by a drought decreases yields by 14%, and decreases the food diversity of households by around 1%. Second, I look at the impacts' heterogeneity according to the plot's experience, using the timing of the year of acquisition of the plot. I compare short-term droughts' effects on households that acquired their first plot before the 1980s dry period to those that acquired it after. Results suggest that acquiring the land before 1985 attenuates the harmful effects of a climate shock, as these particular households have only a 3% reduction in their yields due to the 2015 drought. This is especially the case when households were severely hit in the 1980s. This result might suggest that having a long-lasting experience under extreme dry events on cultivated land reduces vulnerability to rainfall variability. |
| Keywords: | Nigeria, Droughts, Climate Change, Agricultural Production, Adaptation |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:ciredw:halshs-04685420 |
| By: | Mélanie Gittard (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CIRED - Centre International de Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - Université Paris-Saclay - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) |
| Abstract: | Since 2000, Kenya has experienced an increase in the frequency of droughts, significantly affecting agriculture and driving labor force migration. This paper investigates strategic migration patterns among farmers and pastoralists in response to repetitive droughts. I use fine-grained data that enables the capture of shortdistance migration and heterogeneity, combining satellite-based data on daily rainfalls (CHIRPS) with exhaustive censuses from 1989, 1999, and 2009. I use a two-way fixed-effect model to exploit the spatial variation in drought frequency across 2, 518 sub-locations, comparing their demographic growth according to the number of dryrainy seasons over each decade. First, I show that increased drought frequency triggers out-migration, as one additional drought decreases demographic growth by 1.7 p.p, equivalent to a 1% population decline. This result is consistent within the [15; 65] age group, excluding other demographic effects and confirming migration as the driving factor. The main contribution of this paper is the identification of different migration strategies across livelihoods. Rural areas dominated by pastoral activities experience significant out-migration, leading to a rural-rural shift from pastoral to agriculture-oriented regions. Herders' migration displays little heterogeneity, suggesting the migration of entire households and consistent with migration as a last resort. Agricultural rural areas are less vulnerable to drought and display significant heterogeneity. The results show the migration of the most educated individuals in the working age, while uneducated individuals are trapped in affected areas. This paper highlights the importance of using detailed data to understand diverse migration strategies, thereby facilitating the implementation of effective policies. |
| Keywords: | Kenya, Droughts, Migration, Population, Census data |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:ciredw:halshs-04685409 |
| By: | Huafeng, Zhang (Centre for Land Tenure Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences); Holden, Stein T. (Centre for Land Tenure Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences) |
| Abstract: | To promote SDG Goal 4 and "education for all", this study investigates children’s basic reading skills in 11 low-income and lower-middle-income African countries, using standardized reading tests from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Research specifically examining children’s reading skills and disparities across socioeconomic groups in African contexts remains scarce. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap by providing comparative evidence on reading skills disparities across diverse social backgrounds, including children with disabilities. Our study provides new evidence on the “Learning Crisis in the Global South”, revealing alarmingly low levels of reading skills but with considerable variation across the 11 African countries studied. Substantial reading skills differences exist between children from disadvantaged backgrounds—those with disabilities, living in rural areas, and from poorer, less educated families—and their non-disadvantaged peers. Notably, these disparities are often more pronounced in countries with higher overall reading proficiency. Moreover, there are persistent gaps between children with and without disabilities across the countries and socioeconomic groups in this study. Encouragingly, children with disabilities benefit from improved socioeconomic conditions just as much as non-disabled children. These findings underscore the diverse challenges faced by children from different disadvantaged backgrounds in varying contexts. |
| Keywords: | Africa; Children with disabilities (CWD); Educational inequality; Poverty; Reading skills; Socioeconomic background; Urban-rural disparity |
| JEL: | I24 |
| Date: | 2024–10–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:nlsclt:2024_005 |
| By: | Najam, Rafiuddin (American University); Patrinos, Harry Anthony (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville); Kattan, Raja Bentaouet (World Bank) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses microdata from the Labor Force and Household Surveys conducted in Afghanistan to show the wage premium differences for education between men and women, documenting a significantly larger premium for women. This sharp distinction is causal as demonstrated by analysis of the compulsory schooling law. Recent bans on women's education and employment are projected to have significant negative impacts on women's future schooling, wage growth, and national income growth. |
| Keywords: | returns to schooling, returns to experience, investments in education, Afghanistan |
| JEL: | C13 J31 |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17279 |
| By: | David Kreitmeir (Monash University) |
| Abstract: | Over the past two decades, violence against land and environmental activists has been on the rise, besetting even stable democracies. Using a unique, fine-grained data set on social conflict events in Peru and exogenous variation in world mineral prices, I document a strong link between local mineral rents and violent state repression of socioenvironmental protests in a democratic institutional setting. I show that the increase in the use of excessive force cannot be explained by changes in protester behavior. Empirical findings highlight the role of local authorities: the election of a pro-mining mayor is associated with a higher prevalence of state repression and corruption in the constituency. The legal and democratic accountability of local authorities is, however, found to be limited. The reported increase in corruption does not translate into more investigations against pro-mining mayors for corruption offenses nor are reelection results of incumbents found to be negatively affected by state violence against protesters. Finally, I show that violent state repression is successful in forestalling conflict resolution agreements that acknowledge protesters’ demands. |
| Keywords: | Resource curse, mining, social conflict, state repression, civil society |
| JEL: | D74 H7 O13 O16 P16 Q34 |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ajr:sodwps:2024-05 |
| By: | Danilo Cavapozzi (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice); Enrico Fornasiero (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice); Teresa Randazzo (University of Naples Parthenope; Fondazione CMCC; RFF-CMCC EIEE) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the impact of the Indian Mid-Day Meal Scheme on the health and cognitive outcomes of schooling children living in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. We exploit the variability derived from the individual educational history of children, combined with the phased implementation of the program targeting only students in the public sector, to construct a variable measuring the monthly cumulative exposure to the Mid-Day Scheme. We provide evidence of the positive impact of the policy on children attending public schools, particularly in reducing inequalities between children enrolled in the private and public sectors. Lastly, employing a Heckman Selection model accounting for the selection issue on the type of school attended by children, we show that the impact of the policy is positive and consistent regardless of the type of school attended. |
| Keywords: | Midday meal, School Feeding, Learning, Health, India |
| JEL: | I21 I25 O12 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ven:wpaper:2024:14 |
| By: | Rodríguez-Puello, Gabriel |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the local effects of an exogenous economic shock, specifically, a mining boom, on crime levels and the mechanisms behind this relationship, including the effect of the boom on local economies’ labor market conditions. The paper contributes with empirical evidence to the literature on the impact of commodity booms, specifically mining, on criminal activities. Based on the exogeneity of the mining boom and the geographical location of minerals, I apply the synthetic control method using municipality-level data from Sweden for the period 1996-2015. This paper focuses on the total number of crimes, which is then subdivided into crimes against persons and crimes against wealth. I find evidence that the mining boom improves the labor market conditions of mining municipalities, which translates into long-term (2013, 2014, and 2015) reductions in total crime. The evidence suggests that the improvement in labor market conditions (employment, wages, and disposable income) is the main mechanism by which the mining boom reduces crime. I find no evidence for the other mechanisms considered: the mining boom does not affect the population composition, the government’s crime prevention capacity, or the income inequality in mining municipalities. |
| Date: | 2024–09–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:s8ayp |
| By: | Ajay Mahal (National Council of Applied Economic Research, Delhi); Anup Karan (Public Health Foundation of India, Gurugram, India) |
| Abstract: | WWe evaluate the earnings and conversion disadvantages that persons with disabilities face in India, which has amongst the highest number of persons with disabilities globally. Our study is unique in that we use two major nationally representative household surveys consisting of over 85 thousand households, alongside a qualitative study to explore the nature and the magnitude of these disadvantages. We find that persons with disabilities and the households they live in experience lower earnings (earnings gap) and incur higher costs of translating those earnings into living standards (conversion gap). Because of such costs, persons with disabilities and the households to which they belong are likely to be at disproportionately higher risk of being poor. These disadvantages vary across gender, by rural-urban residence and by severity of disability and considerably exceed government contributions to the wellbeing of people with disabilities. |
| Keywords: | Disability, Employment, Conversion Gap, Earnings, India |
| JEL: | I15 I18 I31 J3 J7 |
| Date: | 2024–09–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nca:ncaerw:175 |
| By: | Kane, Papa Abdoulaye; Barry, Mamadou Bobo; Eissler, Sarah; Tall, Thiané; Camara, Astou Diao; Sall, Moussa; Fass, Simone; Bryan, Elizabeth; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | Goats are an important source of income, nutrition and resilience in Senegal. This study assesses opportunities to strengthen women’s agency, increase resilience to climate change, and improve nutrition along the various stages of goat value chains from the acquisition of feed resources and other inputs to processing, marketing and consumption of various goat products. The qualitative study finds that even though goats are more climate resilient than other livestock, climate change impacts on goat production and productivity are increasingly felt, particularly through impacts on feed resources. The study identified opportunities to strengthen women’s roles along the goat value chain, particularly in goat production and, to a lesser extent, in processing of goat products. Women and their families also benefit from the consumption of goat milk and women have some degree of control over income from the sale of goat products. Strengthening women’s agency in these nutrient-rich and relatively climate-resilient value chains will require improving their access to land resources and better animal feeds, supporting women’s groups and building women’s capacity for processing and marketing goat products, improving access to electricity for cold storage of goat products, and raising awareness regarding the nutritional benefits of goat products, especially for women and children. |
| Keywords: | climate change; goats; nutrition; climate resilience; value chains; women’s empowerment; gender; Africa; Western Africa; Senegal |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2274 |
| By: | Vesco, P.; Baliki, G.; Brück, T.; Döring, S.; Eriksson, A.; Fjelde, H.; Guha-Sapir, D.; Hall, J.; Knutsen, C. H.; Leis, M. R.; Mueller, H.; Rauh, C.; Rudolfsen, I.; Swain, A.; Timlick, A.; Vassiliou, P. T. B.; von Schreeb, J.; von Uexkull, N.; Hegre, H. |
| Abstract: | The detrimental impacts of wars on human development are well documented across research domains, from public health to micro-economics. However, these impacts are studied in compartmentalized silos, which limits a comprehensive understanding of the consequences of conflicts, hampering our ability to effectively sustain human development. This article takes a first step in filling this gap by reviewing the literature on conflict impacts through the lens of an inter-disciplinary theoretical framework. We review the literature on the consequences of conflicts across 9 dimensions of human development: health, schooling, livelihood and income, growth and investments, political institutions, migration and displacement, socio-psychological wellbeing and capital, water access, and food security. The study focuses on both direct and indirect impacts of violence, reviews the existing evidence on how impacts on different dimensions of societal wellbeing and development may intertwine, and suggests plausible mechanisms to explain how these connections materialize. This exercise leads to the identification of critical research gaps and reveals that systemic empirical testing of how the impacts of war spread across sectors is severely lacking. By streamlining the literature on the impacts of war across multiple domains, this review represents a first step to build a common language that can overcome disciplinary silos and achieve a deeper understanding of how war reverberates across society. This multidisciplinary understanding of conflict impacts may eventually help reconcile divergent estimates and enable forward-looking policies that minimize the costs of war. |
| Keywords: | Conflict, War, Human Development, Public Health, Policies |
| Date: | 2024–10–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cam:camjip:2426 |
| By: | Dolabella, Marcelo |
| Abstract: | Private actors have been actively working on standards that certify products and their production processes to minimize negative externalities. The number of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) has been increasing over the last few decades, raising interest in understanding their impact on trade flows. Standards governing the production of agricultural commodities are especially crucial for developing countries as these goods often constitute a significant portion of their exports. Using a structural gravity model, we investigate how VSS certification affects exports for developing countries across eight highly traded commodities, and twelve VSS certification schemes from 2013 to 2021. Our analysis highlights how these effects differ for Latin America and the Caribbean compared to the rest of the world. The results indicate a positive and significant effect of VSS certification on exports, with on average a one percent increase in VSS coverage, resulting in a 1.86% increase in export value. We observed positive and significant impacts on bananas, palm oil, tea, and cotton exports. Our findings also suggest that trade gains are larger for lower-income exporters trading with high-income destinations, suggesting an important role of VSS in reducing information asymmetries. Also, we observe that the proliferation of standards might reduce the positive effects associated with VSS adoption for the main agricultural producers. |
| Keywords: | Voluntary sustainability standards;Private standards;International trade;developing countries |
| JEL: | F18 Q17 Q18 Q56 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13764 |