The Effect of Clean Water on Long Term Health and Education Outcomes: Evidence from Japanese Colonial Taiwan 1909--1933
Resource
經濟論文叢刊, 40(1), 1-35
Journal
經濟論文叢刊
Journal Volume
40
Journal Issue
1
Pages
1-35
Date Issued
2012-03
Date
2012-03
Author(s)
Lin, M.J.
Lai, C.Y.
Abstract
We use Taiwan's pipe water construction in the early 20th century as a natural experiment. By linking historical Japanese colonial era data and contemporary population census and survey of the elderly data, we examine whether the number of households with hydrants per thousand people at birth will affect education, health, and marriage status years later. OLS estimates show that the number of households with hydrants per thousand people is positively correlated with education, marriage status and the health of the elderly. To solve the endogeneity problem, we use one-year lagged sales and miscellaneous taxes as instrumental variables. 2SLS still shows the positive correlation between clean water and later developmental outcomes. And its effect is larger than that of OLS. Overall, our evidence confirms the existence of long term effect of clean water access in infancy, and provides a basis for the discussion of early childhood intervention policy.
Subjects
乾淨用水供給, 教育程度, 老年健康, 工具變數(clean water provision
education level
elderly health
instrumental variable)
SDGs
Type
journal article
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