News

Nan Sandi (DPhil Public Policy, 2020) has received the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE) Award for Best Doctoral Dissertation in Environmental and Resource Economics. This award recognises her ‘methodological excellence and […] important contributions to environmental and development economics’.

Nan’s dissertation, ‘Essays in Natural Resources and Environmental Economics’, examines how market-based interventions and policy reforms can address environmental challenges and resource conflicts in low- and middle-income countries. Her work combines field experiments, quasi-experimental methods and large-scale spatial and administrative data to generate causal evidence on scalable approaches to sustainable development.

Her first chapter uses a randomised experiment to show that subsidising waste compression technology, which facilitates the transport of agricultural waste to biogas markets, reduces agricultural burning. The second chapter examines the effects of biogas power plant openings on agricultural burning and air pollution. The third chapter studies how restricting resource extraction affects civil conflict in Myanmar, showing that mining policy reforms can contribute to peace. Together, the three chapters highlight how innovative market mechanisms and policy interventions can generate environmental and social benefits.

Nan said:

‘I am very honoured and grateful to receive the EAERE Award for Best Doctoral Dissertation in Environmental and Resource Economics. This recognition would not have been possible without the support, guidance and encouragement of my supervisors, mentors and colleagues throughout my PhD journey.’

Nan’s dissertation has also drawn the attention of several other organisations, and she has received the Weiss Fund/NEUDC Development Economics Distinguished Paper Award, the ADB–IEA Innovative Research Award, and a Special Mention from the Conflict Research Society. One chapter has been published in the Journal of Development Economics.

EAERE is an international scientific association that works to support the development and application of environmental, climate and resource economics. It promotes collaboration between scholars, researchers, policymakers and students, and encourages cooperation between universities and research institutions across Europe. Its annual awards celebrate outstanding and innovative academic achievement in the field of environmental and resource economics.

Warm congratulations to Nan on this distinguished and well-deserved honour.