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An empirical analysis of the effects of climate variables on national level economic growth

Author

Listed:
  • Brown, Casey
  • Meeks, Robyn
  • Ghile, Yonas
  • Hunu, Kenneth

Abstract

The influence of climate on economic growth is a topic of growing interest. Few studies have investigated the potential role that climate hazards and their cumulative effects have on the growth prospects for a country. Due to the relatively stationary spatial patterns of global climate, some regions and countries are more prone to climate hazards and climate variability than others. This study uses a precipitation index that preserves the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation and differentiates between precipitation maximums (such as floods) and minimums (such as droughts). The authors develop a year and country fixed effects regression model to test the influence of climate variables on measures of economic growth and activity. The results indicate that precipitation extremes (floods and droughts) are the dominant climate influence on economic growth and that the effects are significant and negative. The drought index is associated with a highly significant negative influence on growth of growth domestic product, while the flood index is associated with a negative influence on growth of gross domestic product and lagged effects on growth. Temperature has little significant effect. These results have important implications for economic projections of climate change impacts. In addition, adaptation strategies should give new consideration to the importance of water resources given the identification of precipitation extremes as the key climate influence on historical growth of gross domestic product.

Suggested Citation

  • Brown, Casey & Meeks, Robyn & Ghile, Yonas & Hunu, Kenneth, 2010. "An empirical analysis of the effects of climate variables on national level economic growth," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5357, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5357
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fankhauser, Samuel & S.J. Tol, Richard, 2005. "On climate change and economic growth," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Zimmerman, Frederick J. & Carter, Michael R., 2003. "Asset smoothing, consumption smoothing and the reproduction of inequality under risk and subsistence constraints," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 233-260, August.
    3. Jeffrey Sachs & Pia Malaney, 2002. "The economic and social burden of malaria," Nature, Nature, vol. 415(6872), pages 680-685, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elshennawy, Abeer & Robinson, Sherman & Willenbockel, Dirk, 2016. "Climate change and economic growth: An intertemporal general equilibrium analysis for Egypt," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 52(PB), pages 681-689.
    2. Somayeh Meyghani & Mahdi Khodaparast Mashhadi & Narges Salehnia, 2023. "Long-term effects of temperature and precipitation on economic growth of selected MENA region countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 7325-7343, July.
    3. Sachs, Jeffrey D. & Someshwar, Shiv, 2012. "Green Growth and Equity in the Context of Climate Change: Some Considerations," ADBI Working Papers 371, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    4. -, 2011. "An assessment of the economic impact of Climate Change on the Macroeconomy in the Caribbean," Sede Subregional de la CEPAL para el Caribe (Estudios e Investigaciones) 40037, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).

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