Research Record: Bureaucrat Incentives Reduce Crop Burning and Child Mortality in South Asia
Nov 15 2024
By
David Pavlak
Source
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
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The Details
Authors: Saad Gulzar (Princeton University), Gemma Dipoppa (Brown University)
Title: Bureaucrat incentives reduce crop burning and child mortality in South Asia
Journal: Nature
The Big Picture
Air pollution presents a large threat to global health, particularly in South Asia, where it is one of the largest public health emergencies on the planet. Crop residue burning, a practice to clear the agricultural fields so they are ready for the next season, accounts for around 40% – 60% of pollution during winter harvest months. Despite being illegal, many farmers continue to use this method because of its effectiveness and cost efficiency.
According to Gulzar and Gemma, bureaucrats in Pakistan and India who oversee local districts are more likely to impose sanctions, such as fines, on farmers who burn their fields when the pollution effects are felt in their jurisdictions compared to others.
The Findings
To understand how bureaucratic action affects crop burning, Gulzar and Dipoppa assessed a decade of fire and wind satellite data in the North Indian subcontinent. They then combined these data with an analysis of bureaucratic sanctions related to crop fires.
“Local bureaucrats are more likely to be incentivized to act when the wind blows pollution from crop fires to their home districts, where they may be held accountable, rather than away from it,” Gulzar said. “Overall, the number of crop fires decrease by 10–13% after the wind switch pollutes their home district versus their neighbors.”
The effect of these bureaucratic incentives at the India-Pakistan border is five times greater, potentially because of a lack of coordination between the two countries’ officials, Gulzar said.
The Implications
The findings indicate that bureaucratic action can influence farmers’ burning habits — potentially reducing the practice. The authors also highlight the negative effects on health, including increased child and infant mortality due to the pollution exposure.
“We estimate that 1.8–2.7 deaths in 1,000 children could be prevented with small steps to reduce crop fires,” Gulzar said.