Fires: Political economy and Health Impacts of Crop Stubble Burning in South Asia

Abstract

Air pollution from crop residue burning in South Asia is one of the largest public health emergencies on the planet. While governments have adopted legislation to stop it, this practice remains widespread. We study the political economy foundations of fighting crop burning. Using detailed spatial data on administrative jurisdictions, fire occurrence and wind direction in India and Pakistan, we show that the incidence of fires increases when the pollution externality is borne by a neighboring jurisdiction. Our results indicate that the incentives faced by administrators matter for the efficacy of environmental policy.