Environmental and Health Effects of the World’s Largest Afforestation Program

Speaker: Artemis Yuanxiaoyue Yang, Visiting PhD candidate, Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions

Air pollution carried by the wind poses serious threats to public health in areas located downwind of pollution sources. In response, governments and organizations have adopted geoengineering strategies such as artificial afforestation to mitigate these adverse effects. Combining atmospheric dispersion modeling and quasi-experimental approaches, this study quantitatively evaluates the health benefits of the Three-North Shelterbelt Project (TNS) - the world’s largest government-funded afforestation initiative - which aims at restoring 356,123 km2 of forests, equivalent to the area of Germany, across Northern China from 1978 to 2050. We compile a comprehensive dataset from multiple sources, including satellite-based land use, vegetation indices, and air pollution, and administrative records of mortality. Initial results suggest that a one km^2 increase in policy-induced vegetation cover reduces PM2.5 concentrations by 0.354 μg/m^3 and yields $117,919 of health benefits.

About the Workshops

Our Young Researcher Workshops offer emerging China scholars an opportunity to engage directly with interdisciplinary faculty and peers from across campus to discuss and receive feedback on their research. Each workshop features one or several PhD students presenting their latest empirical findings on issues related to China’s economy. Past topics have included college major selection as an obstacle to socioeconomic mobility, the effect of a cooling-off period on marriage outcomes, and factors contributing to government corruption. Faculty and senior scholars provide comments and feedback for improvement. This event series helps to build and strengthen Stanford’s community of young researchers working on China.

Workshops are held on select Fridays from 12 - 1 pm. Lunch will be provided! 

Visit the Young Researcher Workshops webpage for more information on the content and format of the series and to learn how to sign up to present.