The ecological impact of transportation infrastructure
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Asher, Sam
Garg, Teevrat
Novosad, Paul
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
There is a long-standing debate over whether new roads unavoidably lead to environmental damage, especially forest loss, but causal identification has been elusive. Using multiple causal identification strategies, we study the construction of new rural roads to over 100,000 villages and the upgrading of 10,000 kilometers of national highways in India. The new rural roads had precisely zero effect on local deforestation. In contrast, the highway upgrades caused substantial forest loss, which appears to be driven by increased timber demand along the transportation corridors. In terms of forests, last mile connectivity had a negligible environmental cost, while expansion of major corridors had important environmental impacts.
Date Issued
2020-07-01
Date Acceptance
2019-05-31
Citation
The Economic Journal, 2020, 130 (629), pp.1173-1199
ISSN
0013-0133
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Start Page
1173
End Page
1199
Journal / Book Title
The Economic Journal
Volume
130
Issue
629
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2020 Oxford University Press. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in The Economic Journal following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version The Economic Journal, 130 (July), 1173–1199 DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueaa013 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueaa013
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
629
Date Publish Online
2020-03-07