The Persistent Effects of Early-Life Exposure to Air Pollution: Evidence from the Indonesian Forest Fires

Maria Rosales-Rueda and Margaret Triyana ()

Working Papers Rutgers University, Newark from Department of Economics, Rutgers University, Newark

Abstract: We analyze the effects of early-life exposure to air pollution in a developing country on children’s long-term human capital outcomes. We exploit the geographical variation of the 1997 Indonesian forest fires and cohort variation in exposure as a natural experiment. Children exposed to the fires are shorter on average three years post-exposure and have lower lung capacity 10 years post-exposure, but only children who were exposed in-utero continue to exhibit shorter stature at 10 and 17 years post-exposure. We find suggestive evidence that these persistent effects may be due to expectant mothers experiencing poorer respiratory health during the fires.

Keywords: natural disasters; air pollution; long-term effects; fetal origins; Indonesia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q52 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 70 pages
Date: 2019-02
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:run:wpaper:2019-002

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