IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/spa/wpaper/2020wpecon11.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Environmental impacts and policy responses to Covid-19: A view from Latin America

Author

Listed:
  • Alejandro Lopez Feldman
  • Carlos Chavez, Maria Velez, Hernan Bejarano, Ariaster Chimeli, Jose Feres, Juan Robalino

Abstract

COVID-19 is currently having major short run effects with possible serious long run consequences on economic and social aspects, including several potential implications for the environment and the management of natural resources in Latin America. In this paper, we discuss the possible effects of the pandemic on air pollution, deforestation and other relevant environmental dimensions across the region. With contributions from environmental economists from eight countries, we give an overview of the initial and expected environmental effects of this health crisis. We discuss potential effects on environmental regulations and possible policy interventions, as well as an agenda for future research for those interested in the design and evaluation of environmental policies relevant for the Latin American context.

Suggested Citation

  • Alejandro Lopez Feldman & Carlos Chavez, Maria Velez, Hernan Bejarano, Ariaster Chimeli, Jose Feres, Juan Robalino, 2020. "Environmental impacts and policy responses to Covid-19: A view from Latin America," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2020_11, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP), revised 14 Jul 2020.
    • Handle: RePEc:spa:wpaper:2020wpecon11
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.repec.eae.fea.usp.br/documentos/Feldman_Chavez_Velez_Bejarano_Chimeli_Feres_11WP.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diego Herrera & Alexander Pfaff & Juan Robalino, 2019. "Impacts of protected areas vary with the level of government: Comparing avoided deforestation across agencies in the Brazilian Amazon," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 116(30), pages 14916-14925, July.
    2. Kenneth Y. Chay & Michael Greenstone, 2003. "The Impact of Air Pollution on Infant Mortality: Evidence from Geographic Variation in Pollution Shocks Induced by a Recession," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(3), pages 1121-1167.
    3. López-Feldman, Alejandro & Mora, Jorge & Taylor, J. Edward, 2007. "Does natural resource extraction mitigate poverty and inequality? Evidence from rural Mexico and a Lacandona Rainforest Community," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(2), pages 251-269, April.
    4. -, 2020. "Report on the economic impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Latin America and the Caribbean," Libros y Documentos Institucionales, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 45603 edited by Cepal.
    5. Takasaki, Yoshito & Barham, Bradford L. & Coomes, Oliver T., 2004. "Risk coping strategies in tropical forests: floods, illnesses, and resource extraction," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 203-224, May.
    6. Subhrendu K. Pattanayak & Erin O. Sills, 2001. "Do Tropical Forests Provide Natural Insurance? The Microeconomics of Non-Timber Forest Product Collection in the Brazilian Amazon," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 77(4), pages 595-612.
    7. Hillard Kaplan & Benjamin C. Trumble & Jonathan Stieglitz & Roberta Mendez Mamany & Maguin Gutierrez Cayuba & Leonardina Maito Moye & Sarah Alami & Thomas S. Kraft & Raul Quispe Gutierrez & Juan Copaj, 2020. "Voluntary collective isolation as a best response to COVID-19 for indigenous populations? A case study and protocol from the Bolivian Amazon," Post-Print hal-02924018, HAL.
    8. Editorial, 2020. "Covid-19 and Climate Change," Journal, Review of Agrarian Studies, vol. 10(1), pages 5-6, January-J.
    9. Neidell, Matthew J., 2004. "Air pollution, health, and socio-economic status: the effect of outdoor air quality on childhood asthma," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1209-1236, November.
    10. Dieter Helm, 2020. "The Environmental Impacts of the Coronavirus," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(1), pages 21-38, May.
    11. Jones, Benjamin A. & Goodkind, Andrew L., 2019. "Urban afforestation and infant health: Evidence from MillionTreesNYC," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 26-44.
    12. -, 2020. "Latin America and the Caribbean and the COVID-19 pandemic: Economic and social effects," Libros y Documentos Institucionales, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 45351 edited by Eclac.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Britta Rude & Bennet Niederhöfer & Fabio Ferrara, 2020. "ifo Migrationsmonitor: Entwaldung und Migration," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 73(09), pages 66-74, September.
    2. Maria Jose Murcia & Pilar Acosta, 2023. "Accounting for Plural Cognitive Framings of Growth and Sustainability: Rethinking Management Education in Latin America," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(2), pages 299-313, June.
    3. Yannick Useni Sikuzani & Médard Mpanda Mukenza & Ildephonse Kipili Mwenya & Héritier Khoji Muteya & Dieu-donné N’tambwe Nghonda & Nathan Kasanda Mukendi & François Malaisse & Françoise Malonga Kaj & D, 2024. "Quantifying Forest Cover Loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Lubumbashi Charcoal Production Basin (DR Congo) through Remote Sensing and Landscape Analysis," Resources, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-25, July.
    4. Juan Pablo Morea, 2020. "Post COVID-19 Pandemic Scenarios in an Unequal World Challenges for Sustainable Development in Latin America," World, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Leslier Valenzuela-Fernández & Manuel Escobar-Farfán & Mauricio Guerra-Velásquez & Elizabeth Emperatriz García-Salirrosas, 2023. "COVID-19 Effects on Environmentally Responsible Behavior: A Social Impact Perspective from Latin American Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-21, February.
    6. Jeadran Malagón-Rojas & Daniela Mendez-Molano & Julia Almentero & Yesith G. Toloza-Pérez & Eliana L. Parra-Barrera & Claudia P. Gómez-Rendón, 2022. "Environmental Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Experience of Bogotá, 2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-11, May.
    7. Gricelda Herrera-Franco & Néstor Montalván-Burbano & Carlos Mora-Frank & Lady Bravo-Montero, 2021. "Scientific Research in Ecuador: A Bibliometric Analysis," Publications, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-34, December.
    8. Lalisa A. Duguma & Meine van Noordwijk & Peter A. Minang & Kennedy Muthee, 2021. "COVID-19 Pandemic and Agroecosystem Resilience: Early Insights for Building Better Futures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. López-Feldman, Alejandro, 2014. "Shocks, Income and Wealth: Do They Affect the Extraction of Natural Resources by Rural Households?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 91-100.
    2. Alejandro López-Feldman, 2012. "Environmental Dependence of Mexican Rural Households: Exploring the Role of Income, Shocks, Rules and Roads," Working Papers DTE 528, CIDE, División de Economía.
    3. Raffin, Natacha & Seegmuller, Thomas, 2014. "Longevity, pollution and growth," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 22-33.
    4. Syed Hasan & Odmaa Narantungalag, & Martin Berka, 2022. "The intended and unintended consequences of large electricity subsidies: evidence from Mongolia," Discussion Papers 2202, School of Economics and Finance, Massey University, New Zealand.
    5. David Klenert & Franziska Funke & Linus Mattauch & Brian O’Callaghan, 2020. "Five Lessons from COVID-19 for Advancing Climate Change Mitigation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 751-778, August.
    6. Terták, Elemér & Kovács, Levente, 2020. "Challenges to Social Protection and Social Cohesion in Crisises in the Financial Sector," Public Finance Quarterly, Corvinus University of Budapest, vol. 65(3), pages 362-382.
    7. Paul Malliet & Frédéric Reynès & Gissela Landa & Meriem Hamdi-Cherif & Aurélien Saussay, 2020. "Assessing Short-Term and Long-Term Economic and Environmental Effects of the COVID-19 Crisis in France," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 867-883, August.
    8. Ligia Alba Melo-Becerra & Jorge Enrique Ramos-Forero & Jorge Leonardo Rodríguez Arenas & Héctor M. Zárate-Solano, 2021. "Efecto de la pandemia sobre el sistema educativo: El caso de Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1179, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    9. Janet Currie & Eric A. Hanushek & E. Megan Kahn & Matthew Neidell & Steven G. Rivkin, 2009. "Does Pollution Increase School Absences?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(4), pages 682-694, November.
    10. Bowman, Maria S. & Amacher, Gregory S. & Merry, Frank D., 2008. "Fire use and prevention by traditional households in the Brazilian Amazon," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 117-130, August.
    11. Sun, Cong & Kahn, Matthew E. & Zheng, Siqi, 2017. "Self-protection investment exacerbates air pollution exposure inequality in urban China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 468-474.
    12. Timothy J Halliday & John Lynham & Áureo de Paula, 2019. "Vog: Using Volcanic Eruptions to Estimate the Health Costs of Particulates," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(620), pages 1782-1816.
    13. Nicholas J. Sanders, 2012. "What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Weaker: Prenatal Pollution Exposure and Educational Outcomes," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 47(3), pages 826-850.
    14. Bethelhem Debela & Gerald Shively & Arild Angelsen & Mette Wik, 2012. "Economic Shocks, Diversification, and Forest Use in Uganda," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 88(1), pages 139-154.
    15. Chen, Siyu & Guo, Chongshan & Huang, Xinfei, 2018. "Air Pollution, Student Health, and School Absences: Evidence from China," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 465-497.
    16. Yoshito Takasaki & Bradford L. Barham & Oliver T. Coomes, 2010. "Smoothing Income against Crop Flood Losses in Amazonia: Rain Forest or Rivers as a Safety Net?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 48-63, February.
    17. Margaryan, Shushanik, 2021. "Low emission zones and population health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    18. Deepti Goel & Sonam Gupta, 2013. "Delhi Metro and Air Pollution," Working papers 229, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    19. Michelle Marcus, 2021. "Pollution at schools and children's aerobic capacity," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(12), pages 3016-3031, December.
    20. Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt & Treue, Thorsten, 2012. "Hunting for the Benefits of Joint Forest Management in the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot: Effects on Bushmeat Hunters and Wildlife in the Udzungwa Mountains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1224-1239.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Air pollution; COVID-19; coronavirus; deforestation; environmental impacts; environmental policy; Latin America; pandemic; SARS-Cov2-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H12 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Crisis Management
    • Q22 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Fishery
    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spa:wpaper:2020wpecon11. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Pedro Garcia Duarte (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deuspbr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.