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Impact of Natural Disasters on Education Outcomes: Evidence from the 1987-1989 Locust Plague in Mali

Author

Listed:
  • Philippe de Vreyer

    (DIAL - Développement, institutions et analyses de long terme, LEDA-DIAL - Développement, Institutions et Modialisation - LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)

  • Nathalie Guilbert

    (DIAL - Développement, institutions et analyses de long terme)

  • Sandrine Mesplé-Somps

    (DIAL - Développement, institutions et analyses de long terme, IRD [Guinée] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)

Abstract

This paper estimates the long-run impact of a large income shock based on regional variations in the 1987–89 locust plague in Mali. We take comprehensive population census data to construct birth cohorts of individuals and compare those born and living in the years and villages affected by locust plagues with other cohorts. We find a clear, strong impact on the educational outcomes of children living in rural areas, but no impact at all on children living in urban areas. School enrolment by boys born or lessthan four at the time of shock is found to be affected. School enrolmentbyboysbornin1987–88,themaininfestationyears,isfoundtobehardesthitby theplagues.However,although theimpact onschoolenrolment figuresisgreaterfor boys than girls, the educational attainments of girls attending school and living in ruralareasareharderhitthantheboys.Ourcontrolsforindividuals'potentiallyselective migration behaviour and for differences in school infrastructures do nothing to change our results. Our findings are also robust to controls for age misreporting and variations in the cohort cut-off point.

Suggested Citation

  • Philippe de Vreyer & Nathalie Guilbert & Sandrine Mesplé-Somps, 2015. "Impact of Natural Disasters on Education Outcomes: Evidence from the 1987-1989 Locust Plague in Mali," Post-Print hal-01374358, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01374358
    DOI: 10.1093/jae/eju018
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Jun & Yang, Juan & Li, Bo, 2017. "Pain of disasters: The educational cost of exogenous shocks evidence from Tangshan Earthquake in 1976," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 27-49.
    2. Chinh T. Mai & Akira Hibiki, 2023. "How Does Flood Affect Children Differently? The Impact of Flood on Children’s Education, Labor, Food Consumption, and Cognitive Development," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1211, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    3. Valeria Groppo & Kati Kraehnert, 2017. "The impact of extreme weather events on education," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(2), pages 433-472, April.
    4. Pierre E. Biscaye, 2025. "Agricultural shocks and long-term conflict risk: Evidence from desert locust swarms," HiCN Working Papers 436, Households in Conflict Network.
    5. Esther Delesalle, 2019. "Good Or Bad Timing? The Effects Of Productivity Shocks On Education And On Schooling Performance," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2019021, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    6. Conte, Bruno & Piemontese, Lavinia & Tapsoba, Augustin, 2023. "The power of markets: Impact of desert locust invasions on child health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Nadia Benali (a) and Rochdi Feki (b), 2020. "The Relationship between Natural Disasters, Education, ICT and Economic Growth:Empirical Evidence from ARDL Bounds Testing Approach," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 93-111, December.
    8. Doumbia, Macoura & de Walque, Damien B. C. M., 2025. "Natural Disasters and Perceived Returns to Education," Policy Research Working Paper Series 11220, The World Bank.
    9. Somdeep Chatterjee, 2022. "How Hard Did That Sting? Estimating the Economic Costs of Locust Attacks on Agricultural Production†," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(1), pages 434-459, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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