Economics ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-28-2026

Abstract

This dissertation is a collection of three essays that study how resource constraints and environmental conditions shape human capital in low-and middle-income countries. The first essay examines the effects of households’ non-timber forest product (NTFP) collection time on children’s education in Liberia, using nationally representative household forest survey data. The findings suggest that greater household collection intensity is associated with lower school attendance and poorer grade progression among children, highlighting the educational costs of time constraints in forest-dependent households. The second essay studies the role of dietary diversity in childhood stunting in Bangladesh, using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The results indicate that more diverse diets are associated with improved nutritional outcomes, even after addressing endogeneity concerns. The third essay examines household willingness to pay for improved air quality in schools in Nepal, using the contingent valuation approach. The findings show that households place value on reducing children’s exposure to air pollution in school environments. Together, the three essays show that human capital development is shaped by interconnected constraints related to livelihoods, nutrition, and environmental health.

Degree Name

Economics

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Department of Economics

First Committee Member (Chair)

Alok K. Bohara

Second Committee Member

Jingjing Wang

Third Committee Member

Xioaxue Li

Fourth Committee Member

Mengqi (Mandy) Liu

Language

English

Keywords

Human capital, child health, education, forest dependence, dietary diversity, contingent valuation

Document Type

Dissertation

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Available for download on Friday, July 28, 2028

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