Keynote Speaker: Subhrendu K. Pattanayak Professor of Environmental and Energy Policy at Duke University, USA

Professor Subhrendu K. Pattanayak studies the causes and consequences of human behaviour related to the natural environment to help design and evaluate policy interventions in low-income tropical countries. His research covers three domains at the intersection of environment, development, health, and energy: household energy, environmental health (diarrhoea, malaria, and respiratory infections), and forest ecosystem services. He focuses on the design of institutions and policies that are motivated by enormous inequities and a range of efficiency concerns – externalities, public goods, and imperfect information and competition.

Professor Pattanayak approaches these problems through systematic reviews of the literature (meta-analyses) and statistical modeling with high-resolution objective data collected in the field. He then uses those data to test hypotheses salient to policy manipulation, developed from economic frameworks, stakeholder discussions, and direct observations in the field. He employs empirical methods that employ quasi-experimental variation (or experiments where feasible and appropriate), captured through household, community, and institutional surveys. He typically matches these survey data with meso-scale secondary statistics and estimates econometric models to generate policy parameters. He has collaborated closely with multi-lateral agencies, NGOs, governments, and local academics in low- and middle-income countries around the world.

Professor Pattanayak leads a new multi-disciplinary initiative on sustainable energy transitions – Sustainable Energy Transitions Initiative (SETI) – which is supported by the Environment for Development Network and Duke University. He is also a Fellow and faculty member of the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE). He received his PhD in Environmental Economics from Duke University and MS from Purdue University.

To confirm your participation, please write to
Neesha Pradhan, neesha.pradhan@icimod.org+977-1-5275222 (Ext 405)