Effect of environmental NGOs on human health in China: An empirical analysis

Abstract

The emergence of environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) has proved beneficial in improving environmental quality and related health issues. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the impact of ENGO on human health in China from 1995 to 2020. To investigate the relationship between the variables, we have employed the ARDL model. The ARDL model results demonstrate that the long-run impact of ENGO is negative on infant mortality and death rate, meaning that an increase in the proportion of ENGOs in China considerably decreases infant mortality and death rate. On the other hand, ENGOs have a favorable influence on life expectancy in China, demonstrating ENGOs’ supporting role in raising birth life expectancy. In the short run, estimates of ENGOs have no substantial influence on newborn mortality and death rates in China, whereas ENGOs have a positive and significant impact on life expectancy. These results imply that ENGOs help improves people’s health status in China, which is also supported by the rise in GDP, technology, and health expenditures. The causal analysis confirms the bi-directional causal link between ENGO and IMR and ENGO and LE, while the unidirectional causal link runs from ENGO to DR. The results of the study provide insights into the impact of environmental NGOs on human health in China and may help guide policies aimed at improving public health outcomes through environmental protection efforts.