Testing the Stochastic Convergence of Ecological Indicators in BRICS in the Perspective of Public Health

Abstract

This paper assesses the stochastic convergence of relative per capita ecological footprints within BRICS countries over the period 1961–2017 in the field of Public Health. Our initiatives have targeted ecological Indicator and health behaviors. Using the local Whittle estimator and some of its variants we assess whether relative per capita ecological footprints are long memory processes which, although highly persistent, may revert to their mean/trend in the long run thereby indicating evidence of stochastic convergence, or divergent processes in nutshell. Furthermore, we test whether (possibly) slow convergence or the complete lack of it may be the result of structural changes to the deterministics of each of the relative per capita footprint series by means of the tests of Berkes et al. (1) and Mayoral (2). For the ease of comparison, this paper assesses the stochastic convergence of relative per capita ecological capacities for BRICS as well. Our results show relatively strong evidences against stochastic convergence of ecological footprints. Furthermore, with regard to China and Russia, our results also decisively indicate that a slow or lack of convergence is the results of a structural break in the relative per capita ecological footprint series. However, our empirical researches support stochastic convergence of relative per capita ecological capacities for BRICS. In addition, we can conclude whether the per capita ecological footprints converge or not is dependent on the level of economic development, and the stochastic convergence occurs in those rich countries more probably, indicating that public health is becoming a more serious concern in developing countries.