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Abay, K. A., & Amare, M. (2018). Night light intensity and women's body weight: Evidence from Nigeria. Econ Hum Biol, 31, 238–248.
Abstract: The prevalence of overweight and obesity are increasing in many African countries and hence becoming regional public health challenges. We employ satellite-based night light intensity data as a proxy for urbanization to investigate the relationship between urbanization and women's body weight. We use two rounds of the Demographic and Health Survey data from Nigeria. We employ both nonparametric and parametric estimation approaches that exploit both the cross-sectional and longitudinal variations in night light intensities. Our empirical analysis reveals nonlinear relationships between night light intensity and women's body weight measures. Doubling the sample's average level of night light intensity is associated with up to a ten percentage point increase in the probability of overweight. However, despite the generally positive relationship between night light intensity and women's body weight, the strength of the relationship varies across the assorted stages of night light intensity. Early stages of night light intensity are not significantly associated with women's body weight, while higher stages of nightlight intensities are associated with higher rates of overweight and obesity. Given that night lights are strong predictors of urbanization and related economic activities, our results hint at nonlinear relationships between various stages of urbanization and women's body weight.
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Agnew, J., Gillespie, T. W., Gonzalez, J., & Min, B. (2008). Baghdad Nights: Evaluating the US Military ‘Surge’ Using Nighttime Light Signatures. Environ Plan A, 40(10), 2285–2295.
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Al Zahrani, M. H., Omar, A. I., Abdoon, A. M. O., Ibrahim, A. A., Alhogail, A., Elmubarak, M., et al. (2018). Cross-border movement, economic development and malaria elimination in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. BMC Med, 16(1), 98.
Abstract: Malaria at international borders presents particular challenges with regards to elimination. International borders share common malaria ecologies, yet neighboring countries are often at different stages of the control-to-elimination pathway. Herein, we present a case study on malaria, and its control, at the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Malaria program activity reports, case data, and ancillary information have been assembled from national health information systems, archives, and other related sources. Information was analyzed as a semi-quantitative time series, between 2000 and 2017, to provide a plausibility framework to understand the possible contributions of factors related to control activities, conflict, economic development, migration, and climate. The malaria recession in the Yemeni border regions of Saudi Arabia is a likely consequence of multiple, coincidental factors, including scaled elimination activities, cross-border vector control, periods of low rainfall, and economic development. The temporal alignment of many of these factors suggests that economic development may have changed the receptivity to the extent that it mitigated against surges in vulnerability posed by imported malaria from its endemic neighbor Yemen. In many border areas of the world, malaria is likely to be sustained through a complex congruence of factors, including poverty, conflict, and migration.
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Alabia, I., Dehara, M., Saitoh, S. - I., & Hirawake, T. (2016). Seasonal Habitat Patterns of Japanese Common Squid (Todarodes Pacificus) Inferred from Satellite-Based Species Distribution Models. Remote Sensing, 8(11), 921.
Abstract: The understanding of the spatio-temporal distributions of the species habitat in the marine environment is central to effectual resource management and conservation. Here, we examined the potential habitat distributions of Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus) in the Sea of Japan during a four-year period. The seasonal patterns of preferential habitat were inferred from species distribution models, built using squid occurrences detected from night-time visible images and remotely-sensed environmental factors. The predicted squid habitat (i.e., areas with high habitat suitability) revealed strong seasonal variability, characterized by a reduction of potential habitat, confined off of the southern part of the basin during the winter–spring period (December–May). Apparent expansion of preferential habitat occurred during summer–autumn months (June–November), concurrent with the formation of highly suitable habitat patches in certain regions of the Sea of Japan. These habitat distribution patterns were in response to changes in oceanographic conditions and synchronous with seasonal migration of squid. Moreover, the most important variables regulating the spatio-temporal patterns of suitable habitat were sea surface temperature, depth, sea surface height anomaly, and eddy kinetic energy. These variables could affect the habitat distributions through their impacts on growth and survival of squid, local nutrient transport, and the availability of favorable spawning and feeding grounds.
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Alam M., Dappe M. H., Melecky M., & Goldblatt R. (2019). Wider Economic Benefits of Transport Corridors: Evidence from International Development Organizations. Policy Research Working Paper, (9057).
Abstract: This paper collects meta data on transport corridor projects financed by the Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and World Bank and links them to one important wider economic benefit -- local economic activity. The meta data cover 47 projects in 16 countries, with appraisal dates between 1991 and 2007. First, the paper reviews the variation in project design and implementation -- including the local initial conditions, complementary non-transport interventions, and private sector involvement. Second, using the difference-in-differences methodology, the paper links this variation to a measure of local economic activity -- the geocoded intensity of nighttime lights. The effect of the supported corridor projects on local economic activity could be very heterogenous and significantly depend on certain initial conditions and project characteristics. The latter could include locations with access to the sea, as well as projects with a strong theory of change and better engagement of the private sector.
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