Climate change researchers predict a dramatic increase in global average temperature over the next decades. We use past temperature and precipitation fluctuations to investigate whether changes in temperature and precipitation are associated with decreases in economic growth. A GMM panel...

We develop an aggregated model to study rational environmental adaptation policies that compensate negative consequences of certain environmental hazards and changes. The model distinguishes the three categories of adaptation measures that (a) compensate the decrease of the environmental amenity...

Using panel data covering 126 low- and middle-income countries over 1960-2017, we find that sustained positive temperature deviations from their historical norms have a non-linear negative effect on economic growth and growth per capita. A sustained 1°C temperature increase lowers real GDP per...

This research examines theoretically and empirically the origins of agriculture. The theory highlights the role of climatic sequences as a fundamental determinant of both technological sophistication and population density in a hunter-gatherer regime. It argues that foragers facing volatile...

This paper hypothesizes and establishes empirically that climate change policies spread more easily between closely related countries, leading to worldwide differences in climate change policy performance. Exploiting variations across countries, the study provides evidence that genetic distance...

Because excessive specialization can be risky, diversification matters for sustainable development. A case study of Madagascar, this paper begins by briefly discussing economic and institutional diversification and presenting a simple model of production possibilities to illuminate the possible...

This paper surveys recent advances in climate models by emphasising how quantitative instruments can answer the main crucial questions addressed by the policymakers involved and therefore aid the formulation of effective global climate policies. The limits of existing models are highlighted and...

We estimate the production function for agricultural output in Eastern Africa incorporating climate variables disaggregated into growing and non-growing seasons. We find a substantial negative effect of within growing season variance of precipitation. We simulate predicted climate change for the...

Climate change is the main phenomenon that directly affects the world environment, and changes in the environment affect economic sectors differently. The most important impacts of climate change would be on enhancing the average global temperature and the decrease in precipitation. The...

We study how rural households in Ethiopia adapt to droughts through labor reallocation. By using three waves of panel data and exploiting spatial-temporal variations in drought exposure, we find that households reduce on-farm work and increase off-farm self-employment in response to both...