Young Local Politicians and Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon

Ricardo Dahis, Ivan de las Heras and Santiago Saavedra

Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 2026, vol. 13, issue 5, 1229 - 1268

Abstract: While deforestation may yield short-term economic gains, it has lasting impacts on climate change, biodiversity, and water systems. The age of political leaders is a key determinant of how these trade-offs are managed. We study closely contested elections in Brazil and show that when a young politician is in power there is less deforestation (p-value .000), lower greenhouse gas emissions (p-value .061), but higher local income (p-value .023). Results are partly explained by young mayors turning over the bureaucracy with younger public servants (p-value .043).

Date: 2026
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