Intl Conference on Economics, Finance & Business, Rome

AN ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND LIFE EXPECTANCY IN SOUTH AFRICA

PONTSHO MATLOU, TEBOHO J. MOSIKARI

Abstract:

The primary objective of this study is to analyse the impact of environmental degradation on life expectancy in South Africa. To achieve this goal, secondary time series data ranging from 1983 to 2021 is used. Furthermore, the study employed nonlinear approaches to test for unit root and cointegration between variables. The Kapetanios-Shin-Shell (KSS) nonlinear unit root test which follows the exponential start (ESTAR) specification is adopted. Additionally, to test cointegration while catering for the asymmetric effect between variables, the study employs nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) model. The results indicate that there is a long-run nonlinear relationship between life expectancy and environmental degradation, male-life expectancy and environmental degradation, and female-life expectancy and environmental degradation in South Africa. Further, the null hypothesis of “no asymmetry” in the long-run is rejected for life expectancy and environmental degradation, male-life expectancy and environmental degradation, and female-life expectancy and environmental degradation. With regard to the short-run asymmetric tests, the null hypothesis of “no asymmetry” in the short-run cannot be rejected between male-life expectancy and environmental degradation, while the hypothesis is rejected on life expectancy and environmental degradation. The short-run relationship female-life expectancy and environmental degradation is also asymmetric. The findings suggest that the relationship between life expectancy and environmental degradation in South Africa is an intricate one. It is also evident from the results that environmental and socioeconomic factors (such as ED, urbanisation, food production, and GDP per capita) can exert an impact on life expectancy in various ways.

Keywords: NARDL; life expectancy; environmental degradation; South Africa