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Natural resource management and nutrition outcomes: an evaluation of fisheries decentralization in Laos

Benjamin Chipperfield (benjamin.chipperfield1@monash.edu) and Paulo Santos (paulo.santos@monash.edu)
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Benjamin Chipperfield: Monash University
Paulo Santos: Monash University

No 2023-01, Monash Economics Working Papers from Monash University, Department of Economics

Abstract: We estimate the impact of Lao PDR’s 2009 policy of fisheries decentralization on the nutritional status of children under 2 years old, using a double robust estimator that combines propensity score and OLS regression. Fisheries decentralization led to important gains in height-for-age in young children living in environments that, due to seasonal absence of local markets, are highly dependent on local natural resources. The analysis of the impact of this policy on older children and on health behaviors that are unlikely to be influenced by natural resource management (vaccination) supports the causal interpretation of these estimates. We identify higher consumption of fish as one mechanism that explains these gains. This change is not accompanied by greater allocation of time to fishing or investment in fishing assets, suggesting that decentralization of fisheries management likely led to better management of the resource, rather than its over-exploitation.

Keywords: Fisheries decentralization; height-for-age z-score; propensity score; placebo (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q22 Q28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dev, nep-env and nep-sea
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