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Heat exposure and child nutrition: Evidence from West Africa

Author

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  • Blom, Sylvia
  • Ortiz-Bobea, Ariel
  • Hoddinott, John

Abstract

Extreme heat shocks are increasingly linked to poor economic and health outcomes. This paper constructs hour-degree bins of temperature exposure to assess the effects of extreme heat on early child nutrition, a health outcome correlated with educational attainment and income in adulthood. Linking 15 rounds of repeated cross-section data from five West African countries to geo-coded weather data, we find that extreme heat exposure increases the prevalence of both chronic and acute malnutrition. We find that a 2 °C rise in temperature will increase the prevalence of stunting by 7.4 percentage points, reversing the progress made on improving nutrition during our study period.

Suggested Citation

  • Blom, Sylvia & Ortiz-Bobea, Ariel & Hoddinott, John, 2022. "Heat exposure and child nutrition: Evidence from West Africa," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:115:y:2022:i:c:s0095069622000626
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2022.102698
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    7. Kenamu, Edwin & Colen, Liesbeth, 2025. "Estimating the short-term effects and seasonal dynamics of Malawi’s 2015/16 drought on household food insecurity and child malnutrition," Sustainable Food Systems Discussion Papers 352160, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    8. Nekeisha Spencer & Eric Strobl, 2025. "Modeling the Impact of Extreme Climate Events on Household Welfare: An Empirical Framework," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 88(4), pages 921-964, April.
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    10. Guimbeau, Amanda & Ji, Xinde James & Menon, Nidhiya, 2024. "Climate Shocks, Intimate Partner Violence, and the Protective Role of Climate-Resilience Projects," IZA Discussion Papers 17529, IZA Network @ LISER.
    11. World Bank, 2023. "Is Natural Capital a Complement to Human Capital ? Evidence from 46 Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10617, The World Bank.
    12. Germán Caruso & Inés Marcos & Ilan Noy, 2024. "Climate Changes Affect Human Capital," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 157-196, March.
    13. Churchill, Brandyn F. & Srivastava, Sparshi, 2025. "Effects of environmental exposures on weight-related health behaviors and outcomes," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    14. Homma, Kirara & Md. Saiful Islam, Abu Hayat & Matsuura-Kannari, Masanori & Debela, Bethelhem Legesse, 2025. "Weather shocks and child nutritional status in rural Bangladesh: Does labor allocation have a role to play?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    15. Headey, Derek D. & Venkat, Aishwarya, 2024. "Extreme weather and undernutrition: A critical but constructive review of the literature," IFPRI discussion papers 2236, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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