A new GLO Discussion Paper finds for Vietnam that both cold and heat waves cause higher mortality, particularly among older people.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 1034, 2022

Climate Change, Cold Waves, Heat Waves, and Mortality: Evidence from a Lower Middle-Income Country – Download PDF
by Nguyen, Cuong Viet & Nguyen, Manh-Hung & Nguyen, Toan Truong

GLO Fellow Cuong Nguyen

Author Abstract: We estimate the impact of temperature extremes on mortality in Vietnam, using daily data on temperatures and monthly data on mortality during the 2000-2018 period. We find that both cold and heat waves cause higher mortality, particularly among older people. This effect on mortality tends to be smaller in provinces with higher rates of air-conditioning and emigration, and provinces with higher public spending on health. Finally, we estimate economic cost of cold and heat waves using a framework of willingness to pay to avoid deaths, then project the cost to the year 2100 under different Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios.

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GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers). Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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