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Environmental Effects on Public Health: An Economic Perspective

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  • Kyriaki Remoundou

    (Department of International and European Economic Studies, Athens University of Economics and Business, 76, Patission Street, Athens 104 34, Greece)

  • Phoebe Koundouri

    (Department of International and European Economic Studies, Athens University of Economics and Business, 76, Patission Street, Athens 104 34, Greece)

Abstract

In this article we critically review the economic literature on the effects of environmental changes on public health, in both the developed and the developing world. We first focus on the economic methodologies that are available for the evaluation of the effects (social costs and benefits) of environmental changes (degradation/preservation) on public health. Then, we explain how the monetary valuations of these effects can feed back in the construction of economic policy for creating agent-specific incentives for more efficient public health management, which is also equitable and environmentally sustainable. Our exposition is accompanied by a synthesis of the available quantitative empirical results.

Suggested Citation

  • Kyriaki Remoundou & Phoebe Koundouri, 2009. "Environmental Effects on Public Health: An Economic Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:6:y:2009:i:8:p:2160-2178:d:5465
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    Cited by:

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    2. Irfan Ullah & Sher Ali & Muhammad Haroon Shah & Farrah Yasim & Alam Rehman & Basheer M. Al-Ghazali, 2019. "Linkages between Trade, CO 2 Emissions and Healthcare Spending in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Lee, Kangoh, 2023. "Renewable portfolio standards and electricity prices," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    4. Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi & Alexander Brem, 2018. "Antecedents of Corporate Environmental Commitments: The Role of Customers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-10, June.
    5. Miklas Scholz, 2009. "Sustainability: Environmental Studies and Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-3, October.
    6. Murat Gündüz, 2020. "Healthcare expenditure and carbon footprint in the USA: evidence from hidden cointegration approach," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 21(5), pages 801-811, July.
    7. Bichaka Fayissa & Anca Traian, 2013. "Estimation of a Health Production Function: Evidence from East-European Countries," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 58(2), pages 134-148, November.
    8. Kuen‐Hung Tsai & Chi‐Tsun Huang & Zi‐Hyo Chen, 2020. "Understanding variation in the relationship between environmental management practices and firm performance across studies: A meta‐analytic review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 547-565, February.
    9. Amitabha Sarkar & Meri Koivusalo, 2023. "One Health and Sustainable Development: A Roadmap for Development Finance," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 66(3), pages 165-169, December.
    10. Francisco Guijarro & Prodromos Tsinaslanidis, 2020. "Analysis of Academic Literature on Environmental Valuation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-14, March.
    11. Bruce Tonn & Paul Frymier & Jared Graves & Jessa Meyers, 2010. "A Sustainable Energy Scenario for the United States: Year 2050," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(12), pages 1-31, November.
    12. Douglas A. Becker, 2024. "Environmental Quality, Extreme Heat, and Healthcare Expenditures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-11, October.
    13. Linhong Chen & Yue Zhuo & Zhiming Xu & Xiaocang Xu & Xin Gao, 2019. "Is Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Emission an Important Factor Affecting Healthcare Expenditure? Evidence from China, 2005–2016," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-14, October.
    14. Okhumode H. Yakubu, 2018. "Delivering Environmental Justice through Environmental Impact Assessment in the United States: The Challenge of Public Participation," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, February.
    15. Germaine Cornelissen Guillaume & Denis Gubin & Larry A Beaty & Kuniaki Otsuka, 2020. "Some Near- and Far-Environmental Effects on Human Health and Disease with a Focus on the Cardiovascular System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-16, April.
    16. Zhu, Junpeng & Wu, Shaohui & Xu, Junbing, 2023. "The abatement effect of total emission control policy: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    17. Jessica Athens & Setu Mehta & Sophie Wheelock & Nupur Chaudhury & Mark Zezza, 2020. "Using 311 data to develop an algorithm to identify urban blight for public health improvement," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-11, July.
    18. Zhen Shi & Fengping Wu & Huinan Huang & Xinrui Sun & Lina Zhang, 2019. "Comparing Economics, Environmental Pollution and Health Efficiency in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-30, December.
    19. Miguel Ángel Aguilar-Jurado & Pedro Gil-Madrona & Juan Francisco Ortega-Dato & David Zamorano-García, 2019. "Effects of an Educational Glass Recycling Program against Environmental Pollution in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Basil H. Aboul-Enein, 2018. "“The earth is your mosque”: narrative perspectives of environmental health and education in the Holy Quran," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 22-31, March.
    21. Yongxian Fan & Irfan Ullah & Alam Rehman & Arif Hussain & Muhammad Zeeshan, 2022. "Does tourism increase CO2 emissions and health spending in Mexico? New evidence from nonlinear ARDL approach," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 242-257, January.
    22. Xiaocang Xu & Zhiming Xu & Linhong Chen & Chang Li, 2019. "How Does Industrial Waste Gas Emission Affect Health Care Expenditure in Different Regions of China: An Application of Bayesian Quantile Regression," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-12, August.
    23. Daniel Badulescu & Ramona Simut & Alina Badulescu & Andrei-Vlad Badulescu, 2019. "The Relative Effects of Economic Growth, Environmental Pollution and Non-Communicable Diseases on Health Expenditures in European Union Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-19, December.

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