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Climate change and child malnutrition: A Nigerian perspective

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  • van der Merwe, Eduard
  • Clance, Matthew
  • Yitbarek, Eleni

Abstract

Erratic temperatures and precipitation influence nutrition, human capital investment, and living standards, particularly for children. This study investigates the effect of climate change (changes in the monthly maximum average near-surface temperature and total monthly precipitation) on children’s health outcomes, particularly stunting and underweight, in Nigeria. We combine Living Standards Measurement Study - Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) data with high resolution gridded climate data. We find that the rise in temperature is associated with higher levels of stunting – even more so in rural areas. The paper’s findings highlight the need for climate-friendly policies to mitigate the long-term effect of climate change on malnourishment. Without such policies, climate change could reverse years of progress in lowering children’s malnutrition.

Suggested Citation

  • van der Merwe, Eduard & Clance, Matthew & Yitbarek, Eleni, 2022. "Climate change and child malnutrition: A Nigerian perspective," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:113:y:2022:i:c:s0306919222000604
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102281
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Carolyn Chisadza & Matthew Clance & Fritz van der Merwe & Eleni Yitbarek, 2023. "Ruggedness and child health outcomes: Evidence from Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Nigeria," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 91(4), pages 498-527, December.
    2. Azomahou, Théophile T. & Boucekkine, Raouf & Kazianga, Harounan & Korir, Mark & Ndung'u, Njuguna, 2022. "Guest Editors’ Introduction: The role of policy in reducing malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Vincent Harry Alulu & Kelvin Mashisia Shikuku & Watson Lepariyo & Ambica Paliwal & Diba Galgallo & Wako Gobu & Rupsha Banerjee, 2024. "The impact of forage condition on household food security in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(5), pages 1265-1289, October.
    4. Ravi Bhavnani & Nina Schlager & Karsten Donnay & Mirko Reul & Laura Schenker & Maxime Stauffer & Tirtha Patel, 2023. "Household behavior and vulnerability to acute malnutrition in Kenya," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Guimbeau, Amanda & Ji, Xinde James & Long, Zi & Menon, Nidhiya, 2024. "Ocean salinity, early-life health, and adaptation," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Climate change; Malnutrition; Stunting; Underweight; Spatial analysis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

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