The effect of siblings' sex ratio on physical capital, human capital, and gendered time use among adolescents in Ethiopia

We examine the role of siblings' sex ratio on adolescents' physical and human capital development, as well as gendered time allocation using data from the Young Lives project in Ethiopia. We use BMI-for-age and Weight-for-age to measure physical capital and grade attainment and scores in Mathematics and English tests as human capital indicators. Gendered time use is proxied by the hours per day the adolescent spends doing traditionally female-specific chores. Our identification strategy relies on the absence of sex-selective reproduction in our study area which implies that for a given number of siblings, their sex ratio should be exogenous. Our results show that having relatively more brothers than sisters increases both physical and human capital for adolescents, typically with a stronger effect for boys. Yet it also increases girls' time spent on traditionally female-specific tasks, especially in the rural areas. This points to a complex relationship between siblings' sex composition and long-term life outcomes for women.

Estimating the recreational-use value for hiking in Bellenden Ker National Park, Australia

The recreational-use value of hiking in the Bellenden Ker National Park, Australia has been estimated using a zonal travel cost model. Multiple destination visitors have been accounted for by converting visitors' own ordinal ranking of the various sites visited to numerical weights, using an expected-value approach. The value of hiking and camping in this national park was found to be dollar AUS 250,825 per year, or dollar AUS 144,45 per visitor per year, which is similar to findings from other studies valuing recreational benefits. The management of the park can use these estimates when considering the introduction of a system of user pays fees. In addition, they might be important when decisions need to be made about the allocation of resources for maintenance or upgrade of tracks and facilities.