Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India

Michael Greenstone and Rema Hanna

American Economic Review, 2014, vol. 104, issue 10, 3038-72

Abstract: Using the most comprehensive developing country dataset ever compiled on air and water pollution and environmental regulations, the paper assesses India's environmental regulations with a difference-in-differences design. The air pollution regulations are associated with substantial improvements in air quality. The most successful air regulation resulted in a modest but statistically insignificant decline in infant mortality. In contrast, the water regulations had no measurable benefits. The available evidence leads us to cautiously conclude that higher demand for air quality prompted the effective enforcement of air pollution regulations, indicating that strong public support allows environmental regulations to succeed in weak institutional settings.

JEL-codes: I12 J13 O13 Q53 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.104.10.3038
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (380)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India (2011)
Working Paper: Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India (2011)
Working Paper: Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India (2011)
Working Paper: Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India (2011)
Working Paper: Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India (2011)
Working Paper: Environmental Regulations, Air and Water Pollution, and Infant Mortality in India (2011)
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