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An OECD project has been launched on the valuation of environment-related health impacts for children. The lack of empirical surveys and associated lack of data in this area is a barrier to the provision of sound policy advice. Indeed, existing values used for monetisation of environment-related health impacts focus on adult populations and use scenarios that often do not match well with environmental scenarios. As such, there is concern that the continued use of existing estimates from unrelated contexts that do not take these factors into account may result in a misguided benefit-cost analyses, and in a possible misallocation of resources, especially when environmental policies with significant implications for children are under consideration.
To this end, a three-year project (2006-2008) funded under the FP6 Framework by the European Commission's Directorate General for Research seeks to answer some of these questions. An original survey instrument will be applied in three OECD countries (United Kingdom, Italy and the Czech Republic) that have disparities in terms of important factors, such as social insurance systems, health care systems, social concern about the environment, etc. This survey will be developed so as to provide estimates of WTP for risk reductions to adult and child populations. This will allow for cross-country comparisons.
In order to ensure the soundness of the survey instrument and the political relevance of the outcome, an Advisory Group has been formed to assist and oversee this project. The Advisory Group is composed of academic experts in the field of valuation, government representatives from the three participant countries and other selected countries, representatives from selected international organizations. The project team will meet with the Advisory Group at key-points.
Three teams are involved in this project (along with OECD):
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University of East Anglia (Ian Bateman, Brett Day and Graham Loomes)
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Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (Anna Alberini and Aline Chiabai)
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Charles University of Prague (Milan Ščasný and Markéta Braun Kohlová)
In addition, three internationally-recognised specialists in the area of the economics of environment and health have been identified to make specific contributions in the development of the project methodology: Dr. Ståle Navrud, Dr. James Hammitt and Dr. Alistair Hunt. Dr. Navrud will play a key role in the overall project, more particularly in the survey design. He will also provide assistance to the Czech team, and with respect to issues of benefits transfer. Dr. Hammitt will provide assistance in the elaboration and clarification of the links between health and environmental economic methodologies, and Dr. Hunt will provide inputs in the area of survey design and data analysis.
OECD's main role is to act as overall project co-ordinator, as well as to provide inputs in three areas: analysis of existing policy frameworks with a view toward identifying possible improvements; establishing close links between research undertaken and the policy community in the EU (and other OECD) member countries; and ensuring that there is wide dissemination of research findings to all appropriate stakeholders.
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