Population and the environment: the role of fertility, education and life expectancy

Fabio Mariani (), Agustin Perez Barahona () and Natacha Raffin
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Agustin Perez Barahona: University of Cergy-Pontoise and Ecole Polytechnique

No 2019008, LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES from Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES)

Abstract: This paper explores the interplay between population and environmental quality. After reviewing the existing literature, we set up a theoretical framework suitable to analyze two major endogenous forces of demographic change - fertility and life expectancy - and their dynamic interaction with human capital and environmental conditions. We thus revisit and encompass in a unified model some key results of the literature, and gain new insight on the consequences of policy intervention on environmental dynamics and economic development. In particular, we highlight (i) the possible perverse effects of pollution control, (ii) a demographic explanation of the environmental Kuznets curve, (iii) the opportunity of relying on educational subsidies to alleviate the pressure on natural resources, and (iv) the existence of poverty traps related to human capital and environmental quality.

Keywords: Environmental quality; Life expectancy; Education; Fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J11 O44 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-dge, nep-ene, nep-env and nep-gro
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://sites.uclouvain.be/econ/DP/IRES/2019008.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Population and the environment: the role of fertility, education and life expectancy (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ctl:louvir:2019008

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