COVID-19, commuting flows, and air quality

Munseob Lee and Rachel Finerman

Journal of Asian Economics, 2021, vol. 77, issue C

Abstract: Fossil-fuel burning transportation methods significantly contribute to air pollution. During the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea experienced a 10-20% decline in commuting flows, even without government-mandated stay-at-home orders. This paper quantifies the impact that decreased commuting flows have on PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, and SO2, using municipality level commuting data. We find that a 1% decrease in commuting flows decreases air pollutants by 0.08-0.17%, after controlling for seasonality and time-varying local production. The effect was higher in regions with high initial pollution, and people recognized air quality improvements. These results emphasize the importance of encouraging cleaner transportation methods after the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; Commuting Flows; Transportation; Air Pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q53 R11 R41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:asieco:v:77:y:2021:i:c:s1049007821001032

DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2021.101374

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