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Tropical Economics

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  • Solomon M. Hsiang
  • Kyle C. Meng

Abstract

Why wealth is systematically lower in the tropics remains a puzzle. We point out that latitude may have fundamental economic consequence because it plays a key role in how countries experience geophysical processes that have economic implications. We demonstrate that annual fluctuations in the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) leads to hotter and dryer local weather across tropical countries and subsequently to substantial losses in agricultural yields, output, and value-added. If volatility in agricultural production impedes economic growth, the relatively stronger influence of ENSO on the tropics may offer yet another partial explanation for slower historical growth in the tropics.

Suggested Citation

  • Solomon M. Hsiang & Kyle C. Meng, 2015. "Tropical Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 257-261, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:105:y:2015:i:5:p:257-61
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20151030
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Solomon M. Hsiang & Kyle C. Meng & Mark A. Cane, 2011. "Civil conflicts are associated with the global climate," Nature, Nature, vol. 476(7361), pages 438-441, August.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Richard S J Tol, 2018. "The Economic Impacts of Climate Change," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 12(1), pages 4-25.
    2. Andrea Bastianin & Alessandro Lanza & Matteo Manera, 2018. "Economic impacts of El Niño southern oscillation: evidence from the Colombian coffee market," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(5), pages 623-633, September.
    3. Naser Amanzadeh & Toshi H. Arimura & Mohammad Vesal & Seyed Farshad Fatemi Ardestani, 2021. "The Distributional Effects of Climate Change:Evidence from Iran," RIEEM Discussion Paper Series 2007, Research Institute for Environmental Economics and Management, Waseda University.
    4. Dustin Chambers & Patrick A. McLaughlin & Laura Stanley, 2019. "Barriers to prosperity: the harmful impact of entry regulations on income inequality," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 165-190, July.
    5. Ubilava, David & Villoria, Nelson B. & Tack, Jesse B., 2019. "Smooth transitions across latitudes and longitudes: An application of a nonlinear panel regression to the climate—economics nexus," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 114-117.
    6. Thomas McGregor & Samuel Wills, 2016. "Surfing A Wave Of Economic Growth," OxCarre Working Papers 170, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford.
    7. Ingrid Dallmann, 2019. "Weather Variations and International Trade," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(1), pages 155-206, January.
    8. Jesse K. Anttila-Hughes & Amir S. Jina & Gordon C. McCord, 2021. "ENSO impacts child undernutrition in the global tropics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. Richard Akresh, 2016. "Climate Change, Conflict, and Children," HiCN Working Papers 221, Households in Conflict Network.
    10. Oumer, Abdella & Maseland, Robbert & Garretsen, Harry, 2020. "Was de Montesquieu (only half) right? Evidence for a stronger work ethic in cold climates," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 256-269.
    11. Nam, Kyungsik, 2021. "Investigating the effect of climate uncertainty on global commodity markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    12. Michael Donadelli & Marcus Jüppner & Antonio Paradiso & Christian Schlag, 2019. "Temperature Volatility Risk," Working Papers 2019:05, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    13. Michael Donadelli & Marcus Jüppner & Antonio Paradiso & Christian Schlag, 2021. "Computing Macro-Effects and Welfare Costs of Temperature Volatility: A Structural Approach," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 58(2), pages 347-394, August.
    14. Edwards, Ryan B. & Naylor, Rosamond L. & Higgins, Matthew M. & Falcon, Walter P., 2020. "Causes of Indonesia’s forest fires," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    15. Jonathan I. Dingel & Kyle C. Meng & Solomon M. Hsiang, 2019. "Spatial Correlation, Trade, and Inequality: Evidence from the Global Climate," NBER Working Papers 25447, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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