|
on Development |
| By: | Beacham, Austin |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity decline and ecosystem loss are among the gravest transnational crises facing the planet, with deep implications for climate change. What determines how different countries choose to protect nature? Previous work has argued that economic dependence on natural resources undermines green policies. I instead argue that resource dependence can lead to mobilization in favor of protection. Citizens experience the negative consequences of environmental degradation and ecosystem loss firsthand, and domestic and international green groups take notice. Although mobilization can occur across regimes, in democracies these groups more effectively advocate for protection once mobilized, helping to stem biodiversity loss. The adverse effects of resource dependence, therefore, mainly apply to less democratic countries, where extractive interests are most able to steer policymaking and mobilization is less likely to succeed. To test this argument, I employ a mixed-methods research design. I employ a novel panel regression discontinuity design at country borders for all terrestrial country-border pairs from 1992 to 2020, using new geospatial data on protected area (PA) designation over time. I find that the effect of natural resource dependence is conditional: When democratic institutions are weaker, natural resource dependence leads to less biodiversity protection. When democracy is stronger, natural resource dependence increases the likelihood that protected areas are established. I complement these results with a qualitative case study of the history of conservation in Costa Rica to explore the mechanisms. These findings highlight the mitigating role that democratic institutions can play between natural resource dependence and biodiversity protection, and have important implications for our understanding of environmental politics and the role of mobilization among various actors in shifting policy. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Natural resources, climate change, environmental degradation, political mobilization |
| Date: | 2023–11–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:globco:qt0d40d2z8 |
| By: | Paola Jaimes (Department of Economics, University of Ottawa, Canada) |
| Abstract: | This paper provides quantitative evidence on the relationship between gold mining expansion and violent conflict in Colombia. Utilizing a two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression model, the study examines the effects of gold mining on violence using three different measures of gold mining activity across two distinct periods: the Gold Rush (2004-2014) and the post-Gold Rush (2014-2022). The exogeneity of international gold prices and geochemical anomalies is exploited to identify causal effects. During the Gold Rush period, strong effects of gold mining on violence are observed using machine learning and gold mining deforestation measures. In the post-Gold Rush period, mixed results were found, with significant effects primarily observed using the deforestation measure. The presence of armed groups and ethnic mining communities exacerbates the effects of gold mining on violence. However, using two different measures for institutions, such as judicial inefficiency and electoral risk, no significant influence on the impact of gold mining on violence was found. The findings highlight the role of armed groups and the targeting of ethnic communities in the expansion of gold mining areas, underscoring the need for policy interventions to address land disputes and the involvement of armed groups in the mining sector. The robustness of the results is confirmed through various measures of the dependent variables and different clustering methods for standard errors. |
| Keywords: | Natural resources, gold mining, Colombia, conflict, violence. |
| JEL: | D74 L72 Q34 O13 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ott:wpaper:2404e |
| By: | Ben-Amon Kosbab (University of Konstanz & Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona) |
| Abstract: | Large parts of the population in developing countries depend on agriculture for their income and food security. However, agriculture-dependent households are vulnerable to agricultural shocks, which prevent them from investing in education, thus hindering their socio-economic progress and their ability to reduce dependence on agriculture. Research on the impact of agricultural shocks on education predominantly focuses on those caused by extreme weather events and fluctuations in agricultural commodity prices. The impact of large-scale land acquisitions on education has not been studied, despite their growing number and potential to disrupt the agricultural production of small-scale farmers. This paper fills the research gap by hypothesizing that large-scale land acquisitions negatively impact the education of people in their vicinity due to resulting food insecurity and income loss, leading households to divert educational resources to basic needs and withdraw children from school to contribute to income. The negative impact on education is expected to be more pronounced for boys, who find rural employment more easily and are thus more frequently withdrawn from school. Employing a geospatial approach, this paper links 322 large-scale land acquisitions in Africa to 46, 711 Afrobarometer respondents. The results of the regression analysis indicate that being affected by a large-scale land acquisition between the ages of 0 and 16 has a statistically significant negative impact on education. The hypothesized stronger negative impact on male education is not supported by the results. The findings imply that large-scale land acquisitions hinder rural development and entrench poverty, contrary to claims by investors and politicians. |
| Keywords: | education, large-scale land acquisition, agricultural shocks, rural development |
| JEL: | I20 I24 I25 |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aiw:wpaper:36 |
| By: | Aminou Yaya |
| Abstract: | Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, like most developing countries, face major challenges to achieve strong, sustainable, and inclusive growth with the view to reduce significantly persistent poverty and inequality. Many of these challenges results from a high level of economic vulnerability due to simultaneous shocks, notably the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and the multiplicity of armed conflicts. Hence the need to study policies and means of strengthening economic resilience to shocks. This paper analyzes the effects of productive capacities on the volatility of economic growth in SSA countries when faced with significant vulnerability. The study covers the period 2000-2018 for 43 SSA countries. Using Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), the results show that economic vulnerability contributes to growth volatility in SSA. However, this effect varies according to the performance of productive capacities. Countries with high productive capacities have greater opportunities to mitigate the effect of economic vulnerability on growth volatility. Some specific dimensions of productive capacities (Institutions, ICT) seem to matter more than others. The results of this study provide important recommendations to policy makers. |
| Keywords: | Productive capacities; economic vulnerability; growth volatility |
| Date: | 2024–08–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2024/169 |
| By: | Hossain, Marup; Mendiratta, Vibhuti; Savastano, Sara |
| Abstract: | Agricultural and rural development interventions significantly reduce global poverty by providing growth-oriented tools, including but not limited to access to finance, training, and markets. While such interventions effectively reduce monetary poverty (e.g., $1 a day poverty line), there is increasing interest in incorporating non-monetary poverty indicators, such as education, health, and living standards, to capture inherent multidimensionality in poverty. This study analyzes data from 16 impact evaluation studies conducted between 2019 and 2023 to examine whether and to what extent agricultural and rural development interventions affect the multidimensional poverty of small-scale producers. Our analysis reveals a 4 percent reduction in multidimensional poverty for treatment households compared to comparison households. Our findings suggest that agricultural and rural development interventions play a positive role in reducing poverty and have the potential to improve the long-term well-being of poor households. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2024–08–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344302 |
| By: | Joel Huesler (University of Bern) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the impact of hurricanes on school attendance in Jamaica from 1892 to 1942, a period marked by significant natural disasters, including four category two hurricanes. By integrating monthly school attendance data from the fourteen Jamaican parishes with assessments of potential storm destruction, the paper quantifies the effect of hurricanes on school attendance. The average effect of a category two hurricane was a 9.1% decrease in school attendance in the month of the hurricane, followed by decreases of 8.6% and 7.2% in the following two months. Consequently, nearly 400 children miss school for one month, with over 310 children missing school for three months. Mediation analysis further indicates a decline in school performance by up to 3.23%, indirectly caused by decreased school attendance. This paper highlights the lasting impact of hurricanes on educational outcomes, especially in countries with agrarian economies and underdeveloped education systems. |
| Keywords: | Education, Environmental Economic History, Natural Disasters |
| JEL: | I25 N36 N96 Q54 |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hes:wpaper:0264 |
| By: | Sana Khan; Gianna Claudia Giannelli; Lucia Ferrone |
| Abstract: | Education is widely believed to have positive effects on multiple aspects of health outcomes. Nevertheless, the extent to which this association is causal or the factors that could explain the observed correlation remain uncertain, particularly in low-income nations. This study examines the causal impact of maternal education on child nutritional outcomes and their dietary diversity. The empirical research employed a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, where school reform exposure in 2003 is utilized as an instrumental variable to measure educational achievement in Kenya. The findings indicate that increasing a year’s education of women enhances the nutritional status and dietary diversity of her children. One more year of women's schooling considerably affects a child's nutritional status, regardless of their gender. However, the effect is slightly better for boys than girls. The results are also robust across sensitivity tests. Further investigation indicates that the pathways through which maternal education enhances child health outcomes include factors such as the mother's age at first birth, the total number of children under the age of five, the father's level of education, the frequency of prenatal care visits, women's access to information through reading newspapers and watching television, the mother's literacy level, and her employment status. The results of the study suggest that increasing access to education, specifically for young girls, in developing nations such as Kenya may serve as an effective policy tool to improve the nutritional outcomes and feeding practices of children. |
| Keywords: | Maternal education, Education reform, Child nutritional outcomes and dietary diversity, Fuzzy regression discontinuity design, Kenya |
| JEL: | I1 I12 I21 I25 I28 O12 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:frz:wpaper:wp2024_12.rdf |
| By: | Kafle, Kashi; Wang, Yuanhang; Kiiza, Barnabas |
| Abstract: | In the absence of reliable and timely weather information, unprecedented weather shocks can influence farmers’ decision-making. We take the case of Uganda to investigate the relationship between weather shocks and temporary migration among smallholders. Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative survey – Living Standard Measurement Study-Integrated Survey in Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) –, we examine if household-level weather shocks affect temporary migration. Using panel data estimators, we show that weather shocks reduce temporary migration among poor households, and the relationship is more pronounced for smallholders. We also find that the relationship differs by the type of migration. Weather shocks reduce temporary labor migration and migration for educational purposes, but migration for other reasons is not affected. These results are confirmed by focused group interviews with 24 rural farmers from all four regions of Uganda. We identify reduced agricultural productivity and low farm revenue as potential channels for the negative relationship between weather shocks and migration. |
| Keywords: | International Development |
| Date: | 2024–08–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344270 |
| By: | Singh, Tushar; Kishore, Avinash; Alvi, Muzna |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the relationship between agriculture, dietary diversity, and market access in Nepal, testing the complex causal chains involved, and the nuanced connections between production diversity and dietary diversity among smallholder farmers. While diversifying farm production could enhance dietary diversity, the case of Nepal indicates a varied and context specific relationship. Market access emerges as a crucial factor, often exerting a more significant impact on smallholder farm households than production diversity. Access to markets not only influences economic viability but also contributes directly to food and nutrition security, offering a practical solution to address dietary needs. Focusing on Nepal's diverse terrain, the study analyzes the interplay of remoteness, market access, irrigation availability, and complementary inputs in shaping farmers' decisions, providing valuable insights into sustainable agricultural strategies for improved dietary outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. |
| Keywords: | Consumer/Household Economics, Farm Management |
| Date: | 2024–08–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344288 |
| By: | Marín Llanes, Lucas (Universidad de los Andes); Fernández Sierra, Manuel (Universidad de los Andes); Vélez Lesmes, María Alejandra (Universidad de los Andes); Martínez González, Eduard (Superintendencia de Economía Solidaria); Murillo Sandoval, Paulo (Universidad del Tolima) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the socio-economic effects of Colombia’s recent coca cultivation boom, exploiting municipal variations in production incentives following the 2014 announcement of the coca crop substitution program. Using a difference-in-differences strategy with satellite-derived night-time light data as a proxy for economic activity, we find that a one standard deviation increase in coca crops resulted in a 2.5% to 3.1% increase in municipality-level GDP. We also estimate local GDP multipliers, showing that each additional dollar from coca leaf and coca base sales raises GDP by $1.17 to $2.30 and $0.86 to $1.63, respectively. Although the coca boom did not significantly affect local fiscal revenues, violence indicators, or land used for agricultural production, it had substantial environmental impacts, with deforestation rates increasing by 104% and a 302% rise in land conversion from coca cultivation to cattle pastures in the Colombian Amazon. Our findings underscore the significance of illicit economies in providing short-term economic gains and acting as catalysts for economic activity. |
| Keywords: | Illicit Economies; Economic growth; Coca Cultivation; Deforestation; Colombia |
| JEL: | K42 O13 O17 Q34 Q56 |
| Date: | 2024–08–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000089:021186 |
| By: | Sylvain Dessy; Francesca Marchetta; Roland Pongou; Luca Tiberti |
| Abstract: | The unified growth theory (Galor and Weil, 1996) suggests that a high gender gap in earning power increases fertility rates. This paper presents the first microfounded test of this hypothesis, focusing on the critical age interval where this theory binds. Using household data from rural Madagascar—where restrictive gender norms and reliance on rainfed agriculture are prevalent—we exploit temporal and spatial variations in rainfall deficits at the grid-cell level during the growing season to measure women’s relative economic opportunities. Our analysis, controlling for grid-cell and year-of-birth fixed effects and accounting for the spatial correlation of drought episodes, reveals that drought significantly increases completed fertility only when experienced during adolescence. We show that school dropout among adolescent girls and the widening gender gap in economic opportunities drive this increase. Moreover, drought exposure raises adolescent girls’ marriage hazards and the likelihood of having multiple sex partners, triggering early childbearing, especially in agricultural households without irrigation. This study supports the unified growth theory by linking negative climate shocks to women’s relative earning power and fertility decisions, highlighting the need for policies addressing gender disparities and environmental vulnerabilities. |
| Keywords: | Drought; rainfed Agriculture; Women’s earning power; Completed fertility. |
| JEL: | C12 C13 C14 J12 J13 J16 O12 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:frz:wpaper:wp2024_14.rdf |
| By: | Amankwah, Akuffo |
| Abstract: | This paper uses two waves of nationally representative household-level panel data to examine the welfare effects of agricultural productivity in rural Tanzania. Four measures of productivity and ten indicators of welfare, including multidimensional welfare, are considered. Econometric procedures that take into account potential endogeneity resulting from omitted variables bias are employed. The results show welfare-enhancing effects of agricultural productivity, though the elasticities are marginal, requiring potentially large productivity growth for substantial welfare impact. The analysis of the linkage between productivity growth and welfare transition shows that households that experience growth in productivity are more likely to make welfare-enhancing transitions. Policies that allow for expanding households access to durable goods and agricultural capital, investment in irrigation and erosion control facilities, improving households access to agricultural extension services with the needed know-how, as well as ensuring favorable biophysical environment, are vital for sustained productivity growth. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, International Development |
| Date: | 2024–08–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344252 |