Isabel Günther
Biographic Data
| ID | 276906 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Isabel Günther |
| GIVEN NAMES | Isabel |
| FAMILY NAME | Günther |
| SIGNATURE | GÜNTHER I |
| AFFILIATIONS | ETH Zurich |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1601-0495 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 190 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 26 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
From the desk to the field
Protective behaviour on artisanal gold mines
Knowledge about mercury and protection techniques against exposure are low;. • Higher knowledge of mercury is not correlated with higher personal risk perception;. • Higher risk perception is not correlated with higher protective behaviour. • Receiving personal protective equipment for free increases protective behaviour;. • Access to personal protective equipment was more important than risk perception or knowledge. Many artisanal miners use mer…
An Empirical Test of Pedestrian Activity Theories Within Informal Settlements
Pedestrian activity is often measured in the formal parts of cities, yet it has rarely been studied in informal settlements, although they are typically adjacent to formal areas and residents participate in formal urban life. Route optimization and space syntax are two pedestrian activity theories that can be applied to predict path usage in urban areas. These theories have been tested in formal cities, but are they applicable in understudied inf…
Unpacking the impact of Covid-19 on child immunization
Our results indicate that the negative effect on child immunization was less severe and shorter than predicted by experts. Fear of COVID-19 and delayed vaccination campaigns had a substantial impact on childhood immunization while rising COVID-19 cases and moderate social distancing regulations did not seem to affect immunization rates
The Fertility Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa
Despite recent economic growth and reductions in child mortality in many African countries, the region has experienced a slow fertility transition. In this study, we explore whether the slow structural economic change on the continent can explain this discrepancy. We construct a unique panel dataset combining Demographic and Health Surveys and nighttime light intensity data (an indicator of industrialization) from 57 countries at the subnational …
Inequality, social mobility and redistributive preferences
In an online experiment, we provide US citizens with information on both inequality of outcomes and opportunities and test the impact on preferences for redistribution. Information on wealth inequalities in the US increases consensus on a more progressive tax system, whereas information on lack of social mobility in the US increases participants’ preferences for redistribution via fiscal spending. Both informational treatments have a stronger imp…
Urban mining
Do Social Investments by Mining Companies Harm Citizen-State Relations? Experimental Evidence from Burkina Faso
Do mining companies investing in public infrastructure in their host communities harm citizen-state relations? This study presents results from a survey-based field experiment conducted in two mining areas in Burkina Faso. We test whether informing respondents about investments undertaken by mining companies in domains considered classic government responsibilities affects citizens’ legitimating beliefs in their government and their likelihood of…
CSR and local conflicts in African mining communities
Recent research finds that the opening of mines in Africa increases the risk of local protests and conflict. However, few empirical studies have analysed the effect of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) of mining companies on conflicts in extraction areas. This study investigates the relationship between CSR payments and conflicts in African mining communities using econometric techniques. We create and explore a large dataset on CSR payment…
Slow-downs of fertility decline
The phenomenon of fertility stalls in Africa has recently received much attention in the literature yet hasn't lead to clear-cut conclusions
Indicators for Sanitation Quality in Low-Income Urban Settlements
In recent years, shared facilities have contributed substantially to increased access to sanitation in urban areas. While shared sanitation is often the only viable option in densely-populated, low-income urban areas, it is currently considered a “limited" solution by the international community. In this paper, we analyze the conditions under which shared sanitation could be considered of adequate quality and propose a set of indicators associate…
Managing the Covid-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhoods
Without a vaccine, practicing social distancing and protective hygiene are the most effective measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. In order to understand how the urban poor mitigate their risk of infection, we conducted a survey with more than 1,400 poor households in two of the African cities with the most COVID-19 infections, Accra and Greater Johannesburg, early in the pandemic, during lockdowns of public life. We find that many of the urb…
Making an impact? The relevance of information on aid effectiveness for charitable giving. A laboratory experiment
Women Are Walking and Waiting for Water
Funding of the public water supply in developing countries is often justified by the expectation that it significantly decreases the time spent on water collection, leading to increased labor force participation of women. We empirically test this hypothesis for rural Benin. Daily water collection times are reduced by 41 minutes but still take 2 hours after the installation of a public pump. Even though walking distances are reduced, women still s…
Seasonal variations and shared latrine cleaning practices in the slums of Kampala city, Uganda
Shared latrine cleaning in slums is impacted by seasonal variations related to weather conditions and human activity. The wet seasons made the already bad sanitation situation worse. The seasonal fluctuations in the state of shared slum sanitation relate to a wider malaise in the population and an implied capacity deficit among urban authorities. Poor sanitation in slums is part of a broader urban mismanagement conundrum pointing towards the urge…
Desired Fertility and Number of Children Born Across Time and Space
Economists have often argued that high fertility rates are mainly driven by women’s demand for children (and not by family planning efforts) with low levels of unwanted fertility across countries (and hence with little room for family planning efforts to reduce population growth). We study the relationship between wanted fertility and number of children born in a panel of 200 country-years controlling for country fixed effects and global time tre…
Gender variations in access, choice to use and cleaning of shared latrines; experiences from Kampala Slums, Uganda
The presence of sanitation facilities as the first step in the access, choice, use, and cleaning by both women and men has distinct motivations and limitations along gender lines. The study confirms that the use and cleaning of latrines is regulated by gender in daily living. Using a latrine for women was much more than relieving oneself: it involved security, intimacy and health concerns
Descending the sanitation ladder in urban Uganda
Whereas most sanitation campaigns are geared towards provision of improved sanitation infrastructure, these findings show that mere provision of infrastructure (improved or not) without adequate emphasis on proper use, cleaning and maintenance triggers an involuntary descent off the sanitation ladder. Understanding this reversal movement is critical in sustainable sanitation services and should be a concern for all actors
Determinants of households' cleaning intention for shared toilets
Slum Residence and Child Health in Developing Countries
Continued population growth and increasing urbanization have led to the formation of large informal urban settlements in many developing countries in recent decades. The high prevalence of poverty, overcrowding, and poor sanitation observed in these settlements—commonly referred to as “slums”—suggests that slum residence constitutes a major health risk for children. In this article, we use data from 191 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) across…
Saving a Life-Year and Reaching MDG 4 with Investments in Water and Sanitation
Deadly Cities? Spatial Inequalities in Mortality in sub-Saharan Africa
We investigate whether sub-Saharan African countries are affected by an "urban mortality penalty" repeating the history of industrialized countries during the nineteenth century. We analyze Demographic and Health Surveys from several sub-Saharan African countries for differences in child and adult mortality between rural and urban areas. For the first decade of the 2000s, our findings indicate that child mortality is higher in rural than in urban…
The effect of water and sanitation on child health
BACKGROUND: Despite continued national and international efforts, access to improved water and sanitation remains limited in many developing countries. The health consequences of lacking access to water and sanitation are severe, and particularly important for child development. METHODS: To investigate the associations between child health and access to water and sanitation, we merged all available Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) with comple…
Informal employment in developing countries
Estimating Households Vulnerability to Idiosyncratic and Covariate Shocks
Informal employment in developing countries
Estimating Households Vulnerability to Idiosyncratic and Covariate Shocks
Deadly Cities? Spatial Inequalities in Mortality in sub-Saharan Africa
We investigate whether sub-Saharan African countries are affected by an "urban mortality penalty" repeating the history of industrialized countries during the nineteenth century. We analyze Demographic and Health Surveys from several sub-Saharan African countries for differences in child and adult mortality between rural and urban areas. For the first decade of the 2000s, our findings indicate that child mortality is higher in rural than in urban…
Desired Fertility and Number of Children Born Across Time and Space
Economists have often argued that high fertility rates are mainly driven by women’s demand for children (and not by family planning efforts) with low levels of unwanted fertility across countries (and hence with little room for family planning efforts to reduce population growth). We study the relationship between wanted fertility and number of children born in a panel of 200 country-years controlling for country fixed effects and global time tre…
Slum Residence and Child Health in Developing Countries
Continued population growth and increasing urbanization have led to the formation of large informal urban settlements in many developing countries in recent decades. The high prevalence of poverty, overcrowding, and poor sanitation observed in these settlements—commonly referred to as “slums”—suggests that slum residence constitutes a major health risk for children. In this article, we use data from 191 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) across…
Managing the Covid-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhoods
Without a vaccine, practicing social distancing and protective hygiene are the most effective measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. In order to understand how the urban poor mitigate their risk of infection, we conducted a survey with more than 1,400 poor households in two of the African cities with the most COVID-19 infections, Accra and Greater Johannesburg, early in the pandemic, during lockdowns of public life. We find that many of the urb…
CSR and local conflicts in African mining communities
Recent research finds that the opening of mines in Africa increases the risk of local protests and conflict. However, few empirical studies have analysed the effect of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) of mining companies on conflicts in extraction areas. This study investigates the relationship between CSR payments and conflicts in African mining communities using econometric techniques. We create and explore a large dataset on CSR payment…
Making an impact? The relevance of information on aid effectiveness for charitable giving. A laboratory experiment
Measuring pro-poor growth when relative prices shift
Slow-downs of fertility decline
The phenomenon of fertility stalls in Africa has recently received much attention in the literature yet hasn't lead to clear-cut conclusions
Inequality, social mobility and redistributive preferences
In an online experiment, we provide US citizens with information on both inequality of outcomes and opportunities and test the impact on preferences for redistribution. Information on wealth inequalities in the US increases consensus on a more progressive tax system, whereas information on lack of social mobility in the US increases participants’ preferences for redistribution via fiscal spending. Both informational treatments have a stronger imp…
Women Are Walking and Waiting for Water
Funding of the public water supply in developing countries is often justified by the expectation that it significantly decreases the time spent on water collection, leading to increased labor force participation of women. We empirically test this hypothesis for rural Benin. Daily water collection times are reduced by 41 minutes but still take 2 hours after the installation of a public pump. Even though walking distances are reduced, women still s…
Determinants of households' cleaning intention for shared toilets
Saving a Life-Year and Reaching MDG 4 with Investments in Water and Sanitation
Measuring pro-poor growth when relative prices shift
Estimating Households Vulnerability to Idiosyncratic and Covariate Shocks
The effect of water and sanitation on child health
BACKGROUND: Despite continued national and international efforts, access to improved water and sanitation remains limited in many developing countries. The health consequences of lacking access to water and sanitation are severe, and particularly important for child development. METHODS: To investigate the associations between child health and access to water and sanitation, we merged all available Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) with comple…
Informal employment in developing countries
Saving a Life-Year and Reaching MDG 4 with Investments in Water and Sanitation
Deadly Cities? Spatial Inequalities in Mortality in sub-Saharan Africa
We investigate whether sub-Saharan African countries are affected by an "urban mortality penalty" repeating the history of industrialized countries during the nineteenth century. We analyze Demographic and Health Surveys from several sub-Saharan African countries for differences in child and adult mortality between rural and urban areas. For the first decade of the 2000s, our findings indicate that child mortality is higher in rural than in urban…
Gender variations in access, choice to use and cleaning of shared latrines; experiences from Kampala Slums, Uganda
The presence of sanitation facilities as the first step in the access, choice, use, and cleaning by both women and men has distinct motivations and limitations along gender lines. The study confirms that the use and cleaning of latrines is regulated by gender in daily living. Using a latrine for women was much more than relieving oneself: it involved security, intimacy and health concerns
Descending the sanitation ladder in urban Uganda
Whereas most sanitation campaigns are geared towards provision of improved sanitation infrastructure, these findings show that mere provision of infrastructure (improved or not) without adequate emphasis on proper use, cleaning and maintenance triggers an involuntary descent off the sanitation ladder. Understanding this reversal movement is critical in sustainable sanitation services and should be a concern for all actors
Determinants of households' cleaning intention for shared toilets
Slum Residence and Child Health in Developing Countries
Continued population growth and increasing urbanization have led to the formation of large informal urban settlements in many developing countries in recent decades. The high prevalence of poverty, overcrowding, and poor sanitation observed in these settlements—commonly referred to as “slums”—suggests that slum residence constitutes a major health risk for children. In this article, we use data from 191 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) across…
Seasonal variations and shared latrine cleaning practices in the slums of Kampala city, Uganda
Shared latrine cleaning in slums is impacted by seasonal variations related to weather conditions and human activity. The wet seasons made the already bad sanitation situation worse. The seasonal fluctuations in the state of shared slum sanitation relate to a wider malaise in the population and an implied capacity deficit among urban authorities. Poor sanitation in slums is part of a broader urban mismanagement conundrum pointing towards the urge…
Desired Fertility and Number of Children Born Across Time and Space
Economists have often argued that high fertility rates are mainly driven by women’s demand for children (and not by family planning efforts) with low levels of unwanted fertility across countries (and hence with little room for family planning efforts to reduce population growth). We study the relationship between wanted fertility and number of children born in a panel of 200 country-years controlling for country fixed effects and global time tre…
Making an impact? The relevance of information on aid effectiveness for charitable giving. A laboratory experiment
Women Are Walking and Waiting for Water
Funding of the public water supply in developing countries is often justified by the expectation that it significantly decreases the time spent on water collection, leading to increased labor force participation of women. We empirically test this hypothesis for rural Benin. Daily water collection times are reduced by 41 minutes but still take 2 hours after the installation of a public pump. Even though walking distances are reduced, women still s…
Managing the Covid-19 pandemic in poor urban neighborhoods
Without a vaccine, practicing social distancing and protective hygiene are the most effective measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. In order to understand how the urban poor mitigate their risk of infection, we conducted a survey with more than 1,400 poor households in two of the African cities with the most COVID-19 infections, Accra and Greater Johannesburg, early in the pandemic, during lockdowns of public life. We find that many of the urb…
Indicators for Sanitation Quality in Low-Income Urban Settlements
In recent years, shared facilities have contributed substantially to increased access to sanitation in urban areas. While shared sanitation is often the only viable option in densely-populated, low-income urban areas, it is currently considered a “limited" solution by the international community. In this paper, we analyze the conditions under which shared sanitation could be considered of adequate quality and propose a set of indicators associate…
Do Social Investments by Mining Companies Harm Citizen-State Relations? Experimental Evidence from Burkina Faso
Do mining companies investing in public infrastructure in their host communities harm citizen-state relations? This study presents results from a survey-based field experiment conducted in two mining areas in Burkina Faso. We test whether informing respondents about investments undertaken by mining companies in domains considered classic government responsibilities affects citizens’ legitimating beliefs in their government and their likelihood of…
CSR and local conflicts in African mining communities
Recent research finds that the opening of mines in Africa increases the risk of local protests and conflict. However, few empirical studies have analysed the effect of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) of mining companies on conflicts in extraction areas. This study investigates the relationship between CSR payments and conflicts in African mining communities using econometric techniques. We create and explore a large dataset on CSR payment…
Slow-downs of fertility decline
The phenomenon of fertility stalls in Africa has recently received much attention in the literature yet hasn't lead to clear-cut conclusions
Urban mining
An Empirical Test of Pedestrian Activity Theories Within Informal Settlements
Pedestrian activity is often measured in the formal parts of cities, yet it has rarely been studied in informal settlements, although they are typically adjacent to formal areas and residents participate in formal urban life. Route optimization and space syntax are two pedestrian activity theories that can be applied to predict path usage in urban areas. These theories have been tested in formal cities, but are they applicable in understudied inf…
Unpacking the impact of Covid-19 on child immunization
Our results indicate that the negative effect on child immunization was less severe and shorter than predicted by experts. Fear of COVID-19 and delayed vaccination campaigns had a substantial impact on childhood immunization while rising COVID-19 cases and moderate social distancing regulations did not seem to affect immunization rates
The Fertility Transition in Sub-Saharan Africa
Despite recent economic growth and reductions in child mortality in many African countries, the region has experienced a slow fertility transition. In this study, we explore whether the slow structural economic change on the continent can explain this discrepancy. We construct a unique panel dataset combining Demographic and Health Surveys and nighttime light intensity data (an indicator of industrialization) from 57 countries at the subnational …
Inequality, social mobility and redistributive preferences
In an online experiment, we provide US citizens with information on both inequality of outcomes and opportunities and test the impact on preferences for redistribution. Information on wealth inequalities in the US increases consensus on a more progressive tax system, whereas information on lack of social mobility in the US increases participants’ preferences for redistribution via fiscal spending. Both informational treatments have a stronger imp…
Protective behaviour on artisanal gold mines
Knowledge about mercury and protection techniques against exposure are low;. • Higher knowledge of mercury is not correlated with higher personal risk perception;. • Higher risk perception is not correlated with higher protective behaviour. • Receiving personal protective equipment for free increases protective behaviour;. • Access to personal protective equipment was more important than risk perception or knowledge. Many artisanal miners use mer…
Economics (17 works) · Economic growth (12 works) · Business (11 works) · Medicine (11 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (10 works) · Environmental health (10 works) · Geography (10 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Population (8 works) · Socioeconomics (8 works)