9th Biennial ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference

Across the globe, there has been a noticeable increase in weather phenomena such as heatwaves, storms, and intense rains, primarily attributed to changes in climatic patterns. Along with the global scenario, New Zealand's weather patterns are changing, with extreme events occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. New Zealand is affected by a range of weather phenomena, such as tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, floods, droughts, snowstorms, heatwaves, earthquakes, tsunamis, and the excessive occurrence of El Nino and La Nina. In 2022, the average temperature was 13.15°C, above the average temperature from 1981-2010 by 0.96°C.

The main objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of weather events on hospitalization discharge rates; and to explore the impact of weather variation on heath expenditure in New Zealand.

Author have utilized secondary weather data accumulated from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), as well as hospital discharge rates by ethnic groups and medical expenditure data obtained from Health New Zealand. It has used panel data from 8 major regions which have DHB and NIWA weather stations in all over New Zealand and (2014-2019) have been considered to assess the impact of meteorological occurrences on the health sector. The six-year period includes in this analysis is based on the accessibility of public health data. Panel data regression models (fixed effect and random effect) have been implemented to investigate the association between health variables and meteorological events.

The findings indicate that while the average temperature has an effect on the rate of hospital release, rainfall is inversely correlated with hospitalization. The average temperature separately regressed the discharge rate and the result is positive and significant at 1% significance level. But the admission of individuals to hospitals is not influenced by an increase in the rate of rainfall. The analysis indicates that both the average temperature (1% significance level) and minimum temperature (5% significance level) have had a significant positive impact on the discharge rate.

Both panel regression models (fixed and random) demonstrate that the average temperature has a significant impact on increasing medical cost in New Zealand. It is intended to indicate that individuals are becoming ailing and experiencing a variety of diseases as the average temperature begins to rise. At the end of the day, they are required to undergo medical monitoring. As a result, the authority ought to allocate additional funds to the healthcare sector. In the same way, the total rainfall has a positive association with the medical expense on health care across the nation. The rainfall coefficient has significant impact on medical expenditure in random effect model. According to Hausman test, the result of random effect model is more reliable than the fixed effect model for this study.

The rising costs of healthcare systems are being exacerbated by health issues resulting from extreme weather conditions, particularly in regions with low resources. Gaining insight into the impact of these particular weather conditions on health facilitates the development of more effective health plans and policies. With the increasing frequency of severe weather events, healthcare systems must possess robustness and preparedness to effectively handle the situation. While we may not have a direct role in dealing with climate change and temperature rise, our study can assist health-policy authority in raising awareness among the public about the imminent concerns that climate change poses to the health sector.

The salinity issue is a tremendous difficulty for the southwestern region of Bangladesh due to climate change. Salinity is the measure of the salt concentration that is dissolved in an aquatic environment. Excessive salinity is a major concern in Bangladesh, especially in the southwestern quarter. The rapidly rising sea level caused by global warming is leading to a significant increase in the salt content in the water in the southern region of Bangladesh. Research undertaken in Tala Upazila, Bangladesh, revealed that 94% of inhabitants expressed their willingness to pay for access to clean water, irrespective of their socioeconomic status. Studies have shown that variables such as educational attainment, household income, and the duration of water collection activities positively influence individuals' inclination to pay for water services. In response to rising salinity levels, residents of southwestern Bangladesh are seeking other sources of drinking water. Both the Pond Sand Filter (PSF) and the Filtered Drinking Jar are viable options. Hence, it is imperative to examine the propensity of individuals to alter their source of drinking water. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of willingness to pay (WTP) for different drinking water switching behaviors.
The study includes 1500 households from the south-western region of Bangladesh. In an attempt to investigate user preferences and demand for saline free drinking water, the author has employed a discrete choice experiment methodology. To determine the specific preferences of consumers for any product features, the author employs this approach to obtain the desired outcome. Human willingness to pay (WTP) for drinking water has been determined using a conditional logit model.
According to the study, 30% of persons need 8 liters of water per day and 20.67% need 10. Daily water consumption varies on household size. The study region relies on rainwater for drinking water. Because many use rainwater. People in southwestern saline-prone areas prefer rainwater. The survey found that 45% of southwestern saline-prone residents have two water tanks. Only 17% of responders have 3 tanks. Additionally, 38% have one tank. Southwest saline-prone Bangladeshis want better drinking water. Many refuse to drink better water as water prices rise. 60% of individuals would not choose better drinking water if water prices rose 1 BDT. Improved water-seeking methods boost the desire for safe drinking water. People lose interest in drinking better water when pressured to do so. How well you hunt for water and how acute your emotional pressure are affect learning adaptability. People are willing to pay 245.56 BDT on average, which helps the shift to saline-free drinking water.
Undoubtedly, the residents of the southwestern region of Bangladesh, adversely impacted by elevated salt levels, are encountering a multitude of difficulties arising from this problem. Preservation of primary crops, maternal and newborn mortality, depletion of biodiversity, and other comparable challenges jeopardize their very existence. Primarily, individuals residing in southwestern regions with high salinity levels must endure psychological stress in order to access clean drinking water. Thus, the affected persons are highly motivated to pay for access to an improved drinking water supply. The salt-prone southwest region necessitates marketing efforts to improve the quality of drinking water supplies. Purifying drinking water requires technical assistance from the municipal authorities. Non-governmental organizations can coordinate initiatives addressing the limitations of rainwater extracting. The municipal governing body has the authority to grant permission to the water distribution authority to disseminate information regarding the enhanced water sources.