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Early life exposure to climate shocks and the protective role of cash transfers

Author

Listed:
  • Munyanyi, Musharavati Ephraim
  • Damoah, Kaku Attah
  • Tirivayi, Nyasha

Abstract

This study investigates how early-life drought exposure affects child undernutrition—stunting, underweight, and wasting—and evaluates whether cash transfers can mitigate these impacts. Using rainfall, household, and child-level data from Ghana and Burkina Faso, we find that birth-year droughts increase stunting and underweight in Ghana but reduce wasting, while in Burkina Faso, pre-birth droughts raise the risk of wasting and underweight. Gender differences emerge: in Ghana, drought exposure increases stunting among boys, while girls are more affected in birth-year droughts. In Burkina Faso, boys are more vulnerable to wasting from birth-year droughts, while girls face greater risks of wasting and underweight from pre-birth droughts. Across both countries, children in female-headed households appear less vulnerable to drought shocks compared to those in male-headed households. The negative effects of drought are most pronounced in early childhood and decline with age. Cash transfers play a protective role, reducing underweight associated with birth-year drought and mitigating stunting and underweight linked to pre-birth droughts in Ghana. In Burkina Faso, they alleviate the effects of birth-year drought on stunting, underweight, and wasting, and underweight and wasting linked to pre-birth drought exposure.

Suggested Citation

  • Munyanyi, Musharavati Ephraim & Damoah, Kaku Attah & Tirivayi, Nyasha, 2025. "Early life exposure to climate shocks and the protective role of cash transfers," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:59:y:2025:i:c:s1570677x25000784
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2025.101545
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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