Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study
The effect of tropical deforestation on heat exposure and subsequent human health outcomes remains understudied, especially among an increasingly vulnerable population—healthy, adult subsistence workers in rural industrializing tropical countries. We report on a field experiment that estimated the s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abb96c |
| _version_ | 1797747710324899840 |
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| author | Yuta J Masuda Teevrat Garg Ike Anggraeni Nicholas H Wolff Kristie Ebi Edward T Game Jennifer Krenz June T Spector |
| author_facet | Yuta J Masuda Teevrat Garg Ike Anggraeni Nicholas H Wolff Kristie Ebi Edward T Game Jennifer Krenz June T Spector |
| author_sort | Yuta J Masuda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The effect of tropical deforestation on heat exposure and subsequent human health outcomes remains understudied, especially among an increasingly vulnerable population—healthy, adult subsistence workers in rural industrializing tropical countries. We report on a field experiment that estimated the short-term effects of heat exposure from deforestation on cognitive performance. We randomly assigned rural, adult subsistence workers in East Kalimantan, Indonesia to deforested or forested settings, and standard or high incentive piece rate payments. Participants worked in forested or deforested settings for up to 90 min, where ambient and black globe temperatures in deforested areas were, on average, 2.1 °C and 10 °C higher. After completing the experimental task, participants were asked to take a validated general cognitive assessment test (CAT) and episodic memory test (EMT). We found participants in deforested settings had statistically significant lower scores on both CAT and EMT. Effects were largely driven by heat effects on male participants and those working after noon. Our results highlight how heat exposure from tropical deforestation may lead to declines in cognitive performance even in favorable work settings. Policymakers should consider how land use planning that takes into account the cooling services of trees can play a significant role in increasing resilience to heat from climate and land use change in the tropics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:55:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36da63a145b24afb816298ad481e6d73 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:55:31Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-36da63a145b24afb816298ad481e6d732023-08-09T14:56:39ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262020-01-01151212401510.1088/1748-9326/abb96cHeat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental studyYuta J Masuda0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1698-4855Teevrat Garg1Ike Anggraeni2Nicholas H Wolff3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1162-3556Kristie Ebi4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4746-8236Edward T Game5Jennifer Krenz6June T Spector7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0761-1256Global Science, The Nature Conservancy , 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606, United States of America; Joint first authorsSchool of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California San Diego , San Diego, CA, United States of America; Joint first authorsFaculty of Public Health, Mulawarman University , Samarinda, IndonesiaGlobal Science, The Nature Conservancy , 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606, United States of AmericaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, United States of America; Department of Global Health, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaGlobal Science, The Nature Conservancy , South Brisbane QLD 4101, AustraliaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, United States of AmericaThe effect of tropical deforestation on heat exposure and subsequent human health outcomes remains understudied, especially among an increasingly vulnerable population—healthy, adult subsistence workers in rural industrializing tropical countries. We report on a field experiment that estimated the short-term effects of heat exposure from deforestation on cognitive performance. We randomly assigned rural, adult subsistence workers in East Kalimantan, Indonesia to deforested or forested settings, and standard or high incentive piece rate payments. Participants worked in forested or deforested settings for up to 90 min, where ambient and black globe temperatures in deforested areas were, on average, 2.1 °C and 10 °C higher. After completing the experimental task, participants were asked to take a validated general cognitive assessment test (CAT) and episodic memory test (EMT). We found participants in deforested settings had statistically significant lower scores on both CAT and EMT. Effects were largely driven by heat effects on male participants and those working after noon. Our results highlight how heat exposure from tropical deforestation may lead to declines in cognitive performance even in favorable work settings. Policymakers should consider how land use planning that takes into account the cooling services of trees can play a significant role in increasing resilience to heat from climate and land use change in the tropics.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abb96cdeforestationheat stressheat exposureheat straincognitive performanceIndonesia |
| spellingShingle | Yuta J Masuda Teevrat Garg Ike Anggraeni Nicholas H Wolff Kristie Ebi Edward T Game Jennifer Krenz June T Spector Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study Environmental Research Letters deforestation heat stress heat exposure heat strain cognitive performance Indonesia |
| title | Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study |
| title_full | Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study |
| title_fullStr | Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study |
| title_short | Heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers: an experimental study |
| title_sort | heat exposure from tropical deforestation decreases cognitive performance of rural workers an experimental study |
| topic | deforestation heat stress heat exposure heat strain cognitive performance Indonesia |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abb96c |
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