Ocean Salinity, Early-Life Health, and Adaptation

Arbeitspapier

We study the effects of in utero exposure to climate change induced high ocean salinity levels on children's anthropometric outcomes. Leveraging six geo-referenced waves of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys merged with gridded data on ocean salinity, ocean chemistry and weather indicators (temperature, rainfall and humidity) from 1993 to 2018, we find that a one standard deviation increase in in utero salinity exposure leads to a 0.11 standard deviation decline in height-for-age. Effects on weight-for-height and weight-for-age for a similar magnitude increase in salinity are 0.13 and 0.15 standard deviations, respectively. Analyses of parental investments and health-seeking behaviors demonstrate that compensating actions along these dimensions to attenuate the detrimental effects of salinity are few and restricted to poorer households. Using satellite-sourced datasets on agriculture and land-use, we find that increasing salinity constrains farmers' land use choices, leading to lower agricultural profitability. In particular, the effects of salinity on child health originate in areas with lower agricultural intensity caused by the progressive salinization of productive lands. These results highlight highlight the costs of environmental insults on early-life health outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 16463

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Climate; Natural Disasters and Their Management; Global Warming ; Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment ; Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth ; Health and Economic Development ; Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
• Subject: ocean salinity ; early-life health ; climate change ; height-for-age ; weight-for-height ; weight-for-age ; children ; adaptation ; Bangladesh

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Guimbeau, Amanda ; Ji, Xinde James ; Long, Zi ; Menon, Nidhiya
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2023

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/282590
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET