Examining the impact of ecological footprint on life expectancy in the Mena countries
A panel threshold analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13135689 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shaif Jarallah (0000-0002-7881-7585, Qatar University, corresponding author), Mouyad Alsamara (0000-0002-3753-1361, Qatar University), Karim Barkat (0000-0003-4893-5801, Qatar University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Pages | 101639-101639 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sustainable Futures (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2666-1888 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101639 |
| OpenAlex | W7118386718 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 55 |
This study examines the environmental and socioeconomic determinants of health outcomes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Specifically, it investigates the relationship between environmental degradation as proxied by ecological footprint and life expectancy at birth. We analyze data from 20 MENA countries for the 2000–2022 period using pooled ordinary least squares and (static and dynamic) panel threshold regressions. We find ecological footprint to be associated with 1.159-year decrease in average life expectancy for the region. However, when our sample is decomposed into oil- and non-oil exporters, we find ecological footprint to have a positive effect on life expectancy for the former group and a negative effect for the latter. This result emphasizes contextual heterogeneity. Our threshold regression results show a non-linear effect of ecological footprint on life expectancy. These results are robust for alternative environmental proxies such as carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, we find that improvements in gross domestic product (per capita), information communication technology, healthcare expenditure and urbanization improve average life expectancy. Meanwhile, other determinants such as unemployment, the recent Coronavirus pandemic and geo-political instability in the region impaired life expectancy. Our findings highlight tangible health costs in relation to environmental degradation that requires targeted socioeconomic policies to enhance public health in the region
Consumption (sociology · Ecological footprint · Environmental degradation · Gross domestic product · Life expectancy · Panel data · Public health · Socioeconomic status · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Energy, Environment, Economic Growth · Global Health Care Issues
Critical Values for Cointegration Tests in Heterogeneous Panels with Multiple Regressors
Effects of population and affluence on CO 2 emissions
The 2019 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change
Age-specific and sex-specific mortality in 187 countries, 1970–2010
Dynamic panels with threshold effect and endogeneity
Financing transformative health systems towards achievement of the health Sustainable Development Goals
Ecological footprint, economic complexity and natural resources rents in Latin America
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Recent trends in life expectancy across high income countries
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The impact of economic development and social-political factors on ecological footprint
Panel cointegration tests of the Fisher effect
Inflation and growth
Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels
Panel Cointegration
Spurious regression and residual-based tests for cointegration in panel data
Ecological footprint, electricity consumption, and economic growth in China
Linking urbanization, human capital, and the ecological footprint in G7 countries
Medicine and democracy
The dynamic impact of urbanization, structural transformation, and technological innovation on ecological footprint and PM2.5
The relationship between environmental literacy, ecological footprint awareness, and environmental behavior in adults
Examining the impact of ecological deficit on life expectancy in GCC countries
Revisiting the determinants of life expectancy in Asia—exploring the role of institutional quality, financial development, and environmental degradation
STIRPAT, Ipat and ImPact
Losing life and livelihood
Unraveling the Intricate Impact of Aging and Healthy Life Expectancy on Carbon Productivity in Next ‐11 Countries
Impacts of air pollution on child growth
On the Concept of Health Capital and the Demand for Health
The impact of public spending on health
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |