The Global Economics of Water: Is Water a Source of Comparative Advantage?

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Debaere, Peter
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.6.2.32
• 发表日期: 2014
• 页码: 32-48
• 关键词: Resources; TRADE

摘要

With newly available data, I investigate to what extent countries' international trade exploits the very uneven water resources on a global scale. I find that water is a source of comparative advantage and that relatively water abundant countries export more water-intensive products. Additionally, water contributes significantly less to the pattern of exports than the traditional production factors labor and physical capital. This suggests relatively moderate disruptions to overall trade on a global scale due to changing precipitation in the wake of climate change.