IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i9p5534-d807659.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Influence of Air Pollution on Happiness and Willingness to Pay for Clean Air in the Bohai Rim Area of China

Author

Listed:
  • Qianqian Liu

    (School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
    Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Guanpeng Dong

    (Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development, Henan University, Kaifeng 475005, China
    Collaborative Innovation Center on Yellow River Civilization Jointly Built by Henan Province and Ministry of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475005, China)

  • Wenzhong Zhang

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Jiaming Li

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

Abstract

Air pollution imposes detrimental impacts on residents’ health and the general quality of life. Quantifying the influential mechanism of air pollution on residents’ happiness and the economic value brought by environmental quality improvement could provide a scientific basis for the construction of livable cities. This study estimated urban residents’ willingness to pay for air pollution abatement by modeling the spatial relationship between air quality and self-rated happiness with a Bayesian multi-level ordinal categorical response model. Using large-scale geo-referenced survey data, collected in the Bohai Rim area of China (including 43 cities), we found that a standard deviation decrease in the number of polluted days over a year was associated with about a 15 percent increase in the odds of reporting a higher degree of happiness, after controlling for a wide range of individual- and city-scale covariate effects. On average, urban residents in the Bohai Rim region were willing to pay roughly 1.42 percent of their average monthly household income for mitigating marginal reductions in air pollution, although great spatial variability was also presented. Together, we hoped that these results could provide solid empirical evidence for China’s regional environmental policies aiming to promote individuals’ well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Qianqian Liu & Guanpeng Dong & Wenzhong Zhang & Jiaming Li, 2022. "The Influence of Air Pollution on Happiness and Willingness to Pay for Clean Air in the Bohai Rim Area of China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:9:p:5534-:d:807659
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5534/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/9/5534/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2017. "Valuing Air Quality Using Happiness Data: The Case of China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 29-36.
    2. Levinson, Arik, 2012. "Valuing public goods using happiness data: The case of air quality," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(9-10), pages 869-880.
    3. Jérôme Silva & Femke de Keulenaer & Nick Johnstone, 2012. "Environmental Quality and Life Satisfaction: Evidence Based on Micro-Data," OECD Environment Working Papers 44, OECD Publishing.
    4. Graham, Carol, 2012. "Happiness Around the World: The paradox of happy peasants and miserable millionaires," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199606283.
    5. James Hammitt & Ying Zhou, 2006. "The Economic Value of Air-Pollution-Related Health Risks in China: A Contingent Valuation Study," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 33(3), pages 399-423, March.
    6. Welsch, Heinz & Ferreira, Susana, 2014. "Environment, Well-Being, and Experienced Preference," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 7(3-4), pages 205-239, December.
    7. Yu Liu & Rong-Lin Li & Yang Song & Zhi-Jiang Zhang, 2019. "The Role of Environmental Tax in Alleviating the Impact of Environmental Pollution on Residents’ Happiness in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-11, November.
    8. Welsch, Heinz, 2006. "Environment and happiness: Valuation of air pollution using life satisfaction data," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(4), pages 801-813, July.
    9. Luechinger, Simon, 2010. "Life satisfaction and transboundary air pollution," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 107(1), pages 4-6, April.
    10. Sun, Chuanwang & Yuan, Xiang & Yao, Xin, 2016. "Social acceptance towards the air pollution in China: Evidence from public's willingness to pay for smog mitigation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 313-324.
    11. Menz, Tobias, 2011. "Do people habituate to air pollution? Evidence from international life satisfaction data," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 211-219.
    12. Yu Liu & Ke Zhu & Rong-Lin Li & Yang Song & Zhi-Jiang Zhang, 2021. "Air Pollution Impairs Subjective Happiness by Damaging Their Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-9, September.
    13. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2017. "Happiness in the air: How does a dirty sky affect mental health and subjective well-being?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 81-94.
    14. Ambrey, Christopher L. & Fleming, Christopher M. & Chan, Andrew Yiu-Chung, 2014. "Estimating the cost of air pollution in South East Queensland: An application of the life satisfaction non-market valuation approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 172-181.
    15. Ndambiri Hilary & Mungatana Eric & Brouwer Roy, 2015. "Stated Preferences for Improved Air Quality Management in the City of Nairobi, Kenya / Vrednovanje Iskazanih Preferencija Za Unapređenje Kvaliteta Vazduha U Gradu Najrobi U Keniji," The European Journal of Applied Economics, Sciendo, vol. 12(2), pages 16-26, October.
    16. Bayer, Patrick & Keohane, Nathaniel & Timmins, Christopher, 2009. "Migration and hedonic valuation: The case of air quality," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(1), pages 1-14, July.
    17. MacKerron, George & Mourato, Susana, 2009. "Life satisfaction and air quality in London," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 1441-1453, March.
    18. Pei-shan Liao & Daigee Shaw & Yih-ming Lin, 2015. "Environmental Quality and Life Satisfaction: Subjective Versus Objective Measures of Air Quality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(2), pages 599-616, November.
    19. Jing Ma & Yinhua Tao & Mei-Po Kwan & Yanwei Chai, 2020. "Assessing Mobility-Based Real-Time Air Pollution Exposure in Space and Time Using Smart Sensors and GPS Trajectories in Beijing," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 110(2), pages 434-448, March.
    20. Smyth, Russell & Mishra, Vinod & Qian, Xiaolei, 2008. "The Environment and Well-Being in Urban China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 547-555, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sunmin Jun & Mengying Li & Juchul Jung, 2022. "Air Pollution (PM 2.5 ) Negatively Affects Urban Livability in South Korea and China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Jie Zhu & Chuntian Lu & Anrui Song, 2023. "Air Pollution Governance and Residents’ Happiness: Evidence of Blue Sky Defense in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Xuan Tian & Cheng Zhang & Bing Xu, 2022. "The Impact of Air Pollution on Residents’ Happiness: A Study on the Moderating Effect Based on Pollution Sensitivity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-20, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yuan, Liang & Shin, Kongjoo & Managi, Shunsuke, 2018. "Subjective Well-being and Environmental Quality: The Impact of Air Pollution and Green Coverage in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 124-138.
    2. Pan Zhang & Zhiguo Wang, 2019. "PM 2.5 Concentrations and Subjective Well-Being: Longitudinal Evidence from Aggregated Panel Data from Chinese Provinces," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-13, March.
    3. Arik Levinson, 2020. "Happiness and air pollution," Chapters, in: David Maddison & Katrin Rehdanz & Heinz Welsch (ed.), Handbook on Wellbeing, Happiness and the Environment, chapter 9, pages 164-182, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Xuan Tian & Cheng Zhang & Bing Xu, 2022. "The Impact of Air Pollution on Residents’ Happiness: A Study on the Moderating Effect Based on Pollution Sensitivity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Arik Levinson, "undated". "Happiness and Air Pollution," Working Papers gueconwpa~20-23-10, Georgetown University, Department of Economics.
    6. Zhang, Xin & Zhang, Xiaobo & Chen, Xi, 2017. "Valuing Air Quality Using Happiness Data: The Case of China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 29-36.
    7. Xingmin Shi & Xueping Li & Xieyang Chen & Luping Zhang, 2022. "Objective air quality index versus subjective perception: which has a greater impact on life satisfaction?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6860-6877, May.
    8. Han, Ahram & Ten, Gi Khan & Wang, Shun, 2023. "Gray skies and blue moms: The effect of air pollution on parental life satisfaction," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    9. Li, Fan & Zhou, Tao, 2020. "Effects of objective and subjective environmental pollution on well-being in urban China: A structural equation model approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    10. Eleftherios Giovanis, 2019. "Worthy to lose some money for better air quality: applications of Bayesian networks on the causal effect of income and air pollution on life satisfaction in Switzerland," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 57(5), pages 1579-1611, November.
    11. Yenniel Mendoza & Roger Loyola & Alonso Aguilar & Roberto Escalante, 2019. "Valuation of Air Quality in Chile: The Life Satisfaction Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 367-387, August.
    12. Sanduijav, Chimedregzen & Ferreira, Susana & Filipski, Mateusz & Hashida, Yukiko, 2021. "Air pollution and happiness: Evidence from the coldest capital in the world," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    13. Sun, Chuanwang & Yi, Xiangyu & Ma, Tiemeng & Cai, Weiyi & Wang, Wei, 2022. "Evaluating the optimal air pollution reduction rate: Evidence from the transmission mechanism of air pollution effects on public subjective well-being," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    14. Tsurumi, Tetsuya & Managi, Shunsuke, 2020. "Health-related and non-health-related effects of PM2.5 on life satisfaction: Evidence from India, China and Japan," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 114-123.
    15. Bertram, Christine & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2015. "The role of urban green space for human well-being," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 139-152.
    16. Welsch, Heinz & Ferreira, Susana, 2014. "Environment, Well-Being, and Experienced Preference," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 7(3-4), pages 205-239, December.
    17. Ambrey, Christopher L. & Chan, Andrew Yiu-Chung & Fleming, Christopher M., 2013. "Estimating the cost of air pollution in South East Queensland: An application of the life satisfaction non-market valuation approach," 2013 Conference (57th), February 5-8, 2013, Sydney, Australia 152133, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    18. Wang, Jinxian & Wang, Yangjie & Sun, Cuicui & Chen, Xiaohong, 2021. "Does mandatory air quality information disclosure raise happiness? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    19. Jie Zhu & Chuntian Lu & Anrui Song, 2023. "Air Pollution Governance and Residents’ Happiness: Evidence of Blue Sky Defense in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-17, October.
    20. Ferreira, Susana & Moro, Mirko & Welsch, Heinz, 2024. "Using Life Satisfaction and Happiness Data for Environmental Valuation: An Experienced Preference Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 16718, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:9:p:5534-:d:807659. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.