Estimating the Health Cost of Air Pollution: The Case of Morocco

Abstract

Globally, ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the fifth leading cause of death. Household air pollution from use of solid fuels is the tenth ranked cause of death. Together, ambient and household air pollution caused 6.4 million deaths worldwide. In the Middle East and North Africa region, an estimated 125,000 lives are lost annually to diseases associated with ambient and household air pollution. This paper estimates the economic cost of air pollution in Morocco, a country marked by rapid economic development and urbanization. Using the most updated causal relationships between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and premature mortality, the paper estimates that air pollution costs society about US$1.14 billion annually, or 1.05 percent of the country’s GDP in 2014. Ambient air pollution is responsible for nearly three quarters of this cost, as a result of large exposure to high PM2.5 levels in cities like Casablanca, Tangier, and Marrakesh. Household air pollution is a problem particularly for rural households using solid fuels for cooking and heating. Based on these results, the paper identifies the most affected areas and the most vulnerable groups in the country.