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Climate Change and Child Health: A Nigerian Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Eduard van der Merwe

    (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa)

  • Matthew Clance

    (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa)

  • Eleni Yitbarek

    (Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa)

Abstract

The detrimental effect of climate change on health is becoming an essential topic of economic research and policymaking. The negative impact of rising temperatures and extreme weather events on children's health outcomes and their human capital is especially concerning. This study investigates the effects of a changing climate, in terms of changes in the monthly maximum average near-surface temperature (degree C) and total monthly precipitation (mm), on children's nutritional status in Nigeria using LSMS-ISA survey data combined with high-resolution gridded climate data. Malnutrition in children is measured in the form of stunting, underweight and wasting. Our results indicate that the changing climate is correlated with a higher probability that Nigeria's children are malnourished - even more so in rural areas. The paper's findings support the notion of the need for climate-friendly policies to mitigate the long-term effect of climate change on malnourishment; otherwise, climate change could reverse years of progress in lowering children's malnutrition.

Suggested Citation

  • Eduard van der Merwe & Matthew Clance & Eleni Yitbarek, 2022. "Climate Change and Child Health: A Nigerian Perspective," Working Papers 202223, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pre:wpaper:202223
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ravi Bhavnani & Nina Schlager & Karsten Donnay & Mirko Reul & Laura Schenker & Maxime Stauffer & Tirtha Patel, 2023. "Household behavior and vulnerability to acute malnutrition in Kenya," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    climate change; malnutrition; stunting; underweight; spatial analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

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