Preserving health, protecting economies: Mitigating the impact of forest fires on healthcare expenditure and environmental sustainability

Abstract

Forest fires release harmful pollutants, endangering public health and incurring substantial healthcare costs. This study empirically investigates the environment‐health‐economy relationship, utilizing a robust MM‐QR approach. Findings divulge that economic growth, urbanization, and tourism drive healthcare expenditure, while environmental factors like forest fires, resource depletion, species extinction, and environmental policy stringency also increase health spending. Conversely, renewable energy consumption lowers healthcare costs, while coal extraction raises them. Empirical estimates reveal that increase in forest fires raises health spending by , socioeconomic indicators by , and environmental factors by . Conversely, a rise in renewable energy usage cuts healthcare expenses by . This study underscores the urgency of addressing environmental degradation, especially forest fires, to mitigate their impacts on human well‐being.

Fluid-based triboelectric nanogenerators: unveiling the prolific landscape of renewable energy harvesting and beyond

“…In natural forest environments, various factors, such as fire ignition due to lightning, hot and dry weather conditions, and vegetation drought, can easily lead to forest fires, resulting in widespread impacts on the natural environment, wildlife, and the physical and mental health of individuals. 176 To address the issue of remote forest fire warnings, as illustrated in Fig. 14b, Fu et al 177 proposed a triboelectric nanogenerator that relies on charge excitation and automatic mode switching, transitioning between contact mode at low speed and non-contact mode at high speed.…”