Research Insights: What will People Pay for SMS Air Quality Alerts and Will They Avoid Air Pollution in Response?
Peer Reviewed
Date issued
Oct 2021
Publication
Subject
Air Quality;
Willingness to Pay;
Randomized Controlled Trial;
Health;
Education;
Productivity;
Labor Supply
JEL code
Q53 - Air Pollution • Water Pollution • Noise • Hazardous Waste • Solid Waste • Recycling;
Q56 - Environment and Development • Environment and Trade • Sustainability • Environmental Accounts and Accounting • Environmental Equity • Population Growth;
D83 - Search • Learning • Information and Knowledge • Communication • Belief • Unawareness
Country
Mexico
Category
Catalogs and Brochures
Male, younger, and higher-income respondents as well as those who perceived high pollution in recent days showed greater willingness to pay for SMS air quality alerts. Willingness to pay was uncorrelated with actual recent high pollution. Recipients of SMS alerts indicated having received air pollution information via SMS, along with reporting a high-pollution day in the past week and having stayed indoors on the most recent day they perceived pollution to be high. However, alert recipients were not more accurate in identifying which specific days had high pollution than other respondents. Households that received a free N95 mask were more likely to report utilizing a mask with a filter during the past two weeks but not more likely to report using a mask with a filter on the specific days with high particulate matter.
