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Crop burning and forest fires: Long-term effect on adolescent height in India

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  • Singh, Prachi
  • Dey, Sagnik

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of biomass burning on adolescent health in India. The biomass burning problem is quite acute especially in North India, with some states experiencing forest fires and few states actively engaging in crop burning practice. We combine remote sensing data on biomass burning events with a pan-India survey on teenage girls (TAG survey). We exploit regional and temporal variation in our data to establish the link between occurrence of extremely high levels of biomass burning during early life and adolescent height for girls in India. Our results indicate that exposure to extremely high level of biomass burning during prenatal and postnatal period is associated with lower height (by 0.7 percent or 1.07 cm) later in life. Girls from North India are found to be especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of exposure to biomass burning.

Suggested Citation

  • Singh, Prachi & Dey, Sagnik, 2021. "Crop burning and forest fires: Long-term effect on adolescent height in India," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:resene:v:65:y:2021:i:c:s0928765521000294
    DOI: 10.1016/j.reseneeco.2021.101244
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human capital; India; Crop burning; Forest fires; Remote sensing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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