Working papers

Clearing the Air, Unequally: Disparities in the Long-term Air Quality Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdowns in the U.S., with Neha Khanna

The COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 yielded unexpected environmental benefits, including dramatic improvements in U.S. air quality. Using a two-stage difference-in-differences design, we examine whether these air quality gains endured through 2022, with particular attention to racial disparities in exposure. While air quality in most areas returned to pre-pandemic levels, improvements persisted in rural and low-traffic regions. Notably, predominantly non-white census tracts in areas with low traffic density maintained their reduced PM₂.₅ levels after lockdowns ended. These findings reveal how broad policy changes can have lasting, demographically varied environmental impacts, suggesting opportunities for targeted interventions to advance environmental justice.

Beneath the Smoke: The Impact of Rising Temperatures on “Hidden” Landfill Fires in California

As global temperatures rise, the frequency of landfill fires is expected to increase, yet their effects remain understudied. This research focuses on subsurface landfill fires, which smolder for long periods and cause land subsidence. Using EPA and satellite data, I find that consecutive high temperatures, starting from as early as one week and continuing up to four weeks, significantly increase the likelihood of subsurface fires. These results suggest that monitoring extended periods of heat can serve as an early warning system, prompting timely interventions to protect vulnerable communities. 

Experimental testing of the Nash Bargaining Solution’s Properties in Externality Provision Problems with Ailin Leng, Ozlem Tonguc, Ce Wang, and Zili Yang

This study examines the effectiveness of Nash bargaining solutions in addressing externalities in environmental economics through a lab experiment. Participants formed coalitions and shared costs to mitigate pollution, using a 5×5 Latin square to assign skills across five projects. The findings show that initial success leads to stable rankings and continued success, supporting Yang's (2021) theoretical propositions on the Lindahl equilibrium's stability and efficiency. The results highlight the importance of stable smaller coalitions, which can grow into larger, stable coalitions, providing empirical evidence for cooperative strategies in environmental agreements and contributing to the literature on the Lindahl equilibrium's application.

Does making education more accessible also benefit girls in dowry systems? Evidence from Pakistan

In some regions of South Asia, girls may face educational disadvantages due to traditional norms surrounding dowries. These dowries can be large payments made by the bride's family to the groom's family, and may make investing in girls' education less attractive. However, I find that providing free primary education corresponded to different outcomes across ethnic groups with varying marriage norms. Girls from dowry systems had a lower likelihood of finishing primary schooling, while girls from bride price systems averaged more years of schooling and had a higher likelihood of completing primary schooling. This highlights the importance of considering cultural differences in policy interventions to promote educational attainment for all girls.

Works in progress

Lost Opportunities: How Large-Scale Land Acquisitions Affect Children’s Potentials in Cambodia, with Louisa Poco (Duke-NUS)

Large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) in developing countries, notably Cambodia, aimed to boost agro-industrial growth and employment. However, they often result in adverse effects like displacement and reduced incomes. This study investigates the impact of LSLAs, particularly in rubber plantations, on the education of workers' children in Cambodia. Using a difference-in-differences approach with data from Cambodia's Demographic Health Surveys and Socioeconomic Surveys, our research informs policymakers about LSLAs' educational consequences, aiding future agricultural investment decisions and highlighting the tradeoffs in enhancing human capital.

Impact Assessment of Iloilo's Rural Water System and Sanitation Project Using a Quasi-experiment and RCT, with Arlene Inocencio 

From Belief to Action: How Worldviews Shape Climate Responsibility in Binghamton with Pamela Mischen and Andreas Pape

A Qualitative Study of Climate Change Perceptions and Emotions in the Broome-Tioga Community with David Mixter, Rory Eckhardt, George Homsy, Barrett Brenton, and Abigail Pepples

Policy Briefs

COVID-19 Is No Excuse to Regress on Gender Equality. Park, Cyn-Young and Inocencio, Ancilla. (2020). ADB Briefs, No. 157. Manila: Asian Development Bank.

COVID-19, Technology, and polarizing jobs. Park, Cyn-Young and Inocencio, Ancilla. (2020).  ADB Briefs, No. 147. Manila: Asian Development Bank.

Book Chapter

Inocencio, Arlene and Inocencio, Ancilla. (In progress). Achieving Food Security through Sustainable Irrigation in the Context of Philippines Agricultural Development. In Agricultural Development in Asia and the Philippines: Policies for Resource Scarcity, Technological Change, and Food Security. 

Park, Cyn-Young and Inocencio, Ancilla (2020). COVID-19, Technology, and polarizing jobs. In Susantono, B., Sawada, Y., & Park, C. Y. (Eds.). Navigating COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific (pp.21 - 31). Manila: Asian Development Bank.