Hostname: page-component-54dcc4c588-rz4zl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-09-12T05:46:47.320Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Wood-burning restrictions and air pollution: the case of air quality warnings in southern Chile

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2025

Cristian Concha Open the ORCID record for Cristian Concha [Opens in a new window]  and
Nathaly M. Rivera Open the ORCID record for Nathaly M. Rivera [Opens in a new window]
Cristian Concha
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
Nathaly M. Rivera*
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
*
Corresponding author: Nathaly M. Rivera; Email: nmrivera@fen.uchile.cl
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Despite the substantial evidence linking particulate matter exposure to adverse health outcomes, a large portion of the global population, particularly in low-income countries, continues to rely on highly polluting fuels, such as wood, for cooking and heating. This study evaluates the immediate effects of wood-burning restrictions, which are triggered by air quality warnings, on levels of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particulate matter in southern Chile. Using a difference-in-differences design that incorporates pre-policy data, we provide plausible causal estimates indicating that wood-burning restrictions lead to significant reductions in hourly PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations during the most severe air quality warning. Additional analyses, including a regression discontinuity design, further support these findings. While our analysis suggests that wood-burning restrictions are effective, they may not be sufficient to reduce air pollution concentrations to levels that are considered safe for public health.

Keywords

air pollutioncooking fuelsChilewood burningenvironmental alerts

JEL classification

Q56: Environment and Development • Environment and Trade • Sustainability • Environmental Accounts and Accounting • Environmental Equity • Population Growth Q40: General I15: Health and Economic Development I25: Education and Economic Development Q53: Air Pollution • Water Pollution • Noise • Hazardous Waste • Solid Waste • Recycling

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Environment and Development Economics , First View , pp. 1 - 22
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Aguilar-Gomez, S, Dwyer, H, Graff Zivin, J and Neidell, M (2022) This is air: The “nonhealth” effects of air pollution. Annual Review of Resource Economics 14, 403–425.10.1146/annurev-resource-111820-021816CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aguilar-Gomez, S and Rivera, NM (2025) Air pollution in the Global South: An overview of its sources and impacts. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance. doi:https://oxfordre.com/economics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190625979.001.0001/acrefore-9780190625979-e-972.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackman, A, Li, Z and Liu, AA (2018) Efficacy of command-and-control and market-based environmental regulation in developing countries. Annual Review of Resource Economics 10, 381–404.10.1146/annurev-resource-100517-023144CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonan, J, Pareglio, S and Tavoni, M (2017) Access to modern energy: A review of barriers, drivers and impacts. Environment and Development Economics 22, 491–516.10.1017/S1355770X17000201CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brook, PJ and Smith, S (eds.) (2000) Energy services for the world’s poor: energy and development report 2000. Washington, DC: World Bank.Google Scholar
Calfucura, E and Montero, R (2013) Programas de descontaminación y calidad del aire en América Latina: una evaluación ex-post para el caso de Santiago de Chile. Working Papers 47, Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Universidad Diego Portales (in Spanish).Google Scholar
Calonico, S, Cattaneo, MD and Titiunik, R (2014) Robust data-driven inference in the regression-discontinuity design. The Stata Journal 14, 909–946.10.1177/1536867X1401400413CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duflo, E, Greenstone, M and Hanna, R (2008) Indoor air pollution, health and economic well-being. Surveys and Perspectives Integrating Environment and Society (SAPIENS) 1, 1–9.10.5194/sapiens-1-1-2008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ezzati, M and Kammen, DM (2002) Evaluating the health benefits of transitions in household energy technologies in Kenya. Energy Policy 30, 815–826.10.1016/S0301-4215(01)00125-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Imbens, GW and Lemieux, T (2008) Regression discontinuity designs: a guide to practice. Journal of Econometrics 142, 615–635.10.1016/j.jeconom.2007.05.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jeuland, M and Pattanayak, SK (2012) Benefits and costs of improved cookstoves: assessing the implications of variability in health, forest and climate impacts. PloS One 7, e30338.10.1371/journal.pone.0030338CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jeuland, M, Pattanayak, SK and Bluffstone, R (2015) The economics of household air pollution. Annual Review of Resource Economics 7, 81–108.10.1146/annurev-resource-100814-125048CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jorquera, H, Barraza, F, Heyer, J, Valdivia, G, Schiappacasse, LN and Montoya, LD (2018) Indoor PM2.5 in an urban zone with heavy wood smoke pollution: the case of Temuco, Chile. Environmental Pollution 236, 477–487.10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.085CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levine, DI, Beltramo, T, Blalock, G, Cotterman, C and Simons, AM (2018) What impedes efficient adoption of products? Evidence from randomized sales offers for fuel efficient cookstoves in Uganda. Journal of the European Economic Association 16, 1850–1880.10.1093/jeea/jvx051CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mardones, C and Cornejo, N (2020a) Ex-post evaluation of environmental decontamination plans on air quality in Chilean cities. Journal of Environmental Management 256, 109929.10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109929CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mardones, C and Cornejo, N (2020b) Ex-post evaluation of a program to reduce critical episodes due to air pollution in southern Chile. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 80, 106334.10.1016/j.eiar.2019.106334CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ministerio del Medio Ambiente (2019) Establece plan de descontaminación atmosférica para la comuna de Los Ángeles: Diario Oficial de la Republica de Chile: 42.263, Santiago, Chile (in Spanish). Available at: https://ppda.mma.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/DN4-Establece-Plan-de-Descontaminacion-Atmosferica-para-la-comuna-de-los-angeles.pdf.Google Scholar
Mullins, J and Bharadwaj, P (2015) Effects of short-term measures to curb air pollution: evidence from Santiago, Chile. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 97, 1107–1134.10.1093/ajae/aau081CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rivera, NM (2021) Air quality warnings and temporary driving bans: evidence from air pollution, car trips, and mass-transit ridership in Santiago. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 108, 102454.10.1016/j.jeem.2021.102454CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schueftan, A and González, AD (2015) Proposals to enhance thermal efficiency programs and air pollution control in south-central Chile. Energy Policy 79, 48–57.10.1016/j.enpol.2015.01.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schueftan, A, Sommerhoff, J and González, AD (2016) Firewood demand and energy policy in south-central Chile. Energy for Sustainable Development 33, 26–35.10.1016/j.esd.2016.04.004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Troncoso, R, de Grange, L and Cifuentes, LA (2012) Effects of environmental alerts and pre-emergencies on pollutant concentrations in Santiago, Chile. Atmospheric Environment 61, 550–557.10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.07.077CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, X, Jin, Y, Dai, H, Xie, Y and Zhang, S (2019) Health and economic benefits of cleaner residential heating in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region in China. Energy Policy 127, 165–178.10.1016/j.enpol.2018.12.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Concha and Rivera supplementary material

Concha and Rivera supplementary material
Download Concha and Rivera supplementary material(File)
File 1.5 MB