The Impact of Wildfire Pollution on Childbirth: Evidence from the 2006 Forest Fire in Indonesia

Caro-Burnett Johann

Kaneko Shinji

Perdananugraha Gonang M.

IDEC DP2 Series

Climate-related events, such as drought and deforestation, substantially increase the frequency and severity of wildfires and, consequently, the amount of air pollutants in Indonesia. We combine childbirth data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey and aerosol data from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer to identify the effect of Indonesia's 2006 wildfire on newborns. More specifically, using a matching algorithm and a natural experiment approach, we show that the intensity of the fire decreased the weight of the newborns but did not affect either the sex or the gestation. Moreover, we also observe that weight loss is caused by exposure to pollutants during the early stages of pregnancy, not during the late stages.

Natural Experiment

Wildfire

Air pollutants

Birth weight

IFLS

NASA-MODIS

英語

広島大学大学院国際協力研究科