SEMINAR SERIES
Applied Microeconomics Seminar
Kwame Adjei-Mantey(Lecturer, University of Environment and Sustainable Development)
- Date&Time:
- 2024.9.19 (Thu) 16:00-17:30
- Venue:
- Room 207 on 2F, Research Bldg. No.14, Yoshida Campus, Kyoto University
- Language:
- English
- Contact:
- Kenji Takeuchi
(Title)
"Household air pollution and child cognitive ability in Ghana"
Abstract:
Energy is a key input into the production process in every economy as well as household activities. The transition to clean and renewable energy has been touted as a solution to the alarming rate of rising temperatures globally and climate change. For households, however, using traditional and heavily polluting sources of energy lead to household air pollution which has implications that go beyond an adverse natural environment. The opportunity costs of failing to adopt and use cleaner sources of energy include exposure to harmful pollutants with associated increased risk of adverse health implications on household members. This study investigates the impact of household air pollution through the use of heavily polluting cooking fuels on cognitive ability in Ghana using data from a nationally representative survey. Preliminary findings show that cognitive development in children is affected negatively by exposures to household air pollution. Conversely, children in households that adopt cleaner cooking fuels are found to have greater associations with higher cognitive ability. Therefore, an acceleration of the energy transition agenda towards widespread clean energy adoption at the household level is relevant for promoting cognitive ability in children while simultaneously addressing climate change concerns.