Fundamentals in Basic Econometrics: Theory and Applications in Environmental Economics

18th February – 7th March
Kathmandu, Nepal

SANDEE in association with The Economists Group (TEG) is organizing a three week course on ‘Fundamentals in Basic Econometrics: Theory and Applications in Environmental Economics’ in Kathmandu, Nepal from February 18th – March 7th, 2008. This course will cover topics in Basic Econometrics like Two variable and Multiple Regression Analysis, its extensions, Dummy Dependent and Simultaneous Equation Models. Theoretical lectures will be combined with practical sessions using econometric software and Environmental Economics data sets. This program is especially designed for candidates from underserved areas in South Asia and preference will be given to teachers and researchers who have two years of demonstrated teaching or research experience from Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and North Eastern states of India.

Junior to mid-career faculty and researchers who have at least a Masters degree in Economics, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Forestry or Agriculture are encouraged to apply. Those who have submitted or are considering submitting a research proposal to SANDEE are particularly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates are requested to send an application by e-mail to ecotrix@sandeeonline.org by Thursday, January 3rd, 2008. Applications should include two attachments (in Word or pdf format) – (1) letter of interest (no more than one page), and (2) a short Curriculum Vitae (no more than 2 pages indicating two best academic papers/ publications, academic qualifications, area of expertise and job profile only). Shortlisted candidates will be informed of their selection by January 11th, 2008.

Participants will be expected to read material prior to the course, complete assignments and discussions during the course. At the end of the course participants will also be expected to present a research concept.

We request you to pass this information to interested colleagues. We are also seeking nominations from SANDEE resource-people and from colleagues who have been part of SANDEE activities.

Nobel Peace Prize 2007

Congratulations to IPCC and Al Gore for winning the Nobel Peace Prize (2007) for their work on Climate Change.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLWgzABvJQ9s&refer=home

The announcement came at an IPCC dissemination workshop in Calcutta organized by SANDEEite Joyashree Roy of Jadavpur University. It was fun to be part of breaking news and see Bert Metz, co-Chair IPCC cut a cake in Calcutta. Note that Joyashree is one of the contributing authors of the 4th assessment report of the IPCC.

Congratulations!

Winter 2007 Research Competition

THE SOUTH ASIAN NETWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS

Deadline: March 22, 2007

The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) invites research pre-proposals on the inter-linkages among economic development, poverty and environmental change. Pre-proposals, if accepted, will lead to an invitation to submit a full research proposal. Four thematic areas have been identified for the current round of research grants. While some common research questions are identified below, researchers can explore a wider range of questions within each sub-area.
1. Economics of Natural Resource Use and RegulationsLarge groups of people depend on land, forests, rivers and other natural resources. Market as well as non-market processes facilitate the extraction, exchange and consumption of these goods and services. Some natural resources are undervalued and over-extracted, while others may be under-utilized. Four policy questions are of interest: What specific regulations and institutional innovations can correct existing market and policy failures? What are the implementation challenges associated with accurately pricing natural resources and services? Is there a role for new policy instruments such as ‘payments for environmental services?’ And, how do we account for environmental costs in designing economic policies (including trade, macro etc.)? 2. Economics of Pollution ManagementDirty water, waste, toxic chemicals, and indoor and outdoor air pollution have serious implications for human health and productivity. What are some viable policy instruments (taxes, subsidies, user-fees etc.) or institutional changes (community water user groups, private contracts for waste management etc.) that can contribute to clean air and water? And what are the distributional outcomes associated with these instruments? The private sector has an important role to play in cleaning up the environment – whether through the use of abatement technologies, new innovations or increased efficiency. What economic incentives or disincentives would promote increased private sector participation in improving environmental quality? What are some political-economy considerations?
3. Economics of Coastal / Riverine Zone ManagementCoastal / riverine communities are vulnerable to sudden on-set of disasters, long-term impacts of climate change, as well as on-going erosion of coastal resources. Can economic instruments (fees, permits, subsidies) be used to better manage coastal development? What incentives and dis-incentives lead to inefficient use of coastal / riverine resources, particularly fisheries? Further, what is the role of insurance markets in responding to coastal / riverine disasters? What is the role of natural and man-made barriers in mitigating disasters? How can we value the services provided by natural barriers? How and what kind of institutional change will improve well-being or reduce disaster risks?
4. Economics of Climate Change The scientific evidence is quite overwhelming that Planet Earth’s average temperatures are rising. This has both a large direct impact due to productivity losses etc., but also in terms of adaptation and mitigation costs that society will have to bear. How will the agricultural output change? How will sea level rise affect coastal communities? Rising temperatures will affect precipitation, and therefore river flows and groundwater stocks. How would this impact on human well being? What kind of costs are involved in mitigating risks? How much would communities have to spend in order maintain equivalent well-being to adapt to the rising temperatures?
SANDEE supports economics research related to environmental problems. Thus, pre-proposals that do not have a strong economics component will not be considered. Pre-proposals are sought from junior to mid-career faculty and researchers; multi-disciplinary / country projects and use of secondary data are encouraged. Institutional affiliation is required for receiving support. Pre-proposals will be evaluated on their academic merit and policy significance. Selected researchers will be invited to submit a full research proposal.
SANDEE’s grants are in the range from $10,000 to $15,000 for 12-24 months. Pre-proposals need to be directly loaded on to the website by March 22, 2007. Pre-proposals received after this date will not be accepted.
If you experience any technical difficulty in uploading your pre-proposal, please strictly follow the guidelines, format and size limitations described on the website and email your file to applications@sandeeonline.org

ENCORA 1st Thematic Network Conference - postponed deadline to February 28th, 2007

The deadline for registration has been postponed to February 28th, 2007ENCORA 1st Thematic Network ConferenceINTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT AND VALUATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS12th-13th March 2007 - Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli, Venice, Italyhttp://www.encora.corila.it/Events/Events.htmlWe would like to invite to register to the ENCORA 1st Thematic Network Conference on “Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Valuation of Socio-Economic Impacts”, to be held on March 12th-13th, 2007 in Venice, Italy. The Conference, organised by the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) and the Consortium for Coordination of Research Activities Concerning the Venice Lagoon System (CORILA), is part of the activities of the thematic network “Multifunctionality and Valuation” within ENCORA, the European Platform for sharing knowledge and experience in coastal science, policy and practice.European coastal zones are subjected to considerable pressure from different types of impacts. The integrated management of coastal zones aims at sorting out the conflicts over the use and allocation of coastal and marine resources. Decision makers are thus confronted with values and processes coming from different contexts and presented in different languages, measures and criteria. New tools and strategies are needed in order to deal with different values and to achieve a shared decision-making process.This conference provides an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to present and discuss new tools and approaches, giving an overview on the state of the art of the valuation of impacts in the context of integrated coastal zone management in Europe. The conference themes include:Evaluation of impacts- Land use changes - Tourism, water-based leisure activities - Fisheries and aquaculture - Off-shore power generation - Industrial activities Integration between different values and conflicts- Tools for economic valuation of natural resources - Multidisciplinary decision support Registration – the deadline for registration has been postponed to February 28th, 2007For all information with regards the registration please refer to the area of the ENCORA website dedicated to the Conference Registration at http://www.encora.corila.it/Events/Conference/Registration.html. In order to register please access at the on-line registration system provided by Oltrex 4M S.p.A.Please note that the deadline for registration has been postponed to February 28th, 2007. The area of the ENCORA website dedicated to the Conference ( http://www.encora.corila.it/Events/Events.html) has been designed to serve as a complete reference point for information on all the Conference matters: information on the scientific aspects of the Conference, such as the programme, the Young Professionals Exchange Programme, and the papers that will be presented, is provided. Furthermore you will find information on the Conference Venue, information about the city and information about registration is also available. For scientific information, please contact the Thematic Network Host Office, Dr. Margaretha Breil (encora@feem.it). For logistical and practical information, please contact the Conference Secretariat, Ms. Angela Marigo (angela.marigo@feem.it).

An Introductory Course in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

An introductory course on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics for Economists April 30th -May 20th 2007
SANDEE is organizing a three-week training course in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics for Economists from April 30 -May 20, 2007. The course is meant for practicing South Asian economists interested in upgrading their skills and learning related to Environmental and Natural Resource Economics.
Workshop objectives: The workshop seeks to provide economists with the skills necessary to teach environmental and natural resource economics and to undertake research in this area. The course will cover economic issues underlying sustainable development, poverty-environment interactions, and natural resource use and pollution management. Participants will be exposed to basic theoretical issues and economic tools and methodologies for analyzing environmental problems in developing countries. The course does not seek to be comprehensive but will give participants a sound introduction to the literature, theory and methods used in environment and natural resource economics.
Who should attend the course? The ideal participant has a Masters or Ph.D. in economics and a good understanding of micro-economics, quantitative economics and econometrics. Economists who have already had training in basic environmental economics through other programs or universities are not eligible. Mid-career faculty and researchers and women are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to teachers and researchers who have either submitted or are considering submitting a research proposal to SANDEE.
What can you expect to do during the course? Participants are expected to read material prior to the course and participate in detailed assignments and discussions during the course. Participants will also be expected to present a research concept note at the end of the course. The draft course agenda is available below for your review and information.
We request you to pass this information to interested colleagues. We are also seeking nominations from SANDEE resource-people and from colleagues who have been part of SANDEE activities. Approximately 25 participants will be selected.
Interested applicants from South Asian countries should write to the SANDEE secretariat with the following information:
a)
a cover letter indicating how such a course will be useful in your teaching and research activities.
b)
the name of the person nominating you;
c)
a three page concept note for a research proposal in environmental economics. The note should discuss the following issues: the research problem and policy relevance, the research question(s), literature review, theory and methods and conclusions;
d)
a CV with institutional affiliation, professional responsibilities/activities, age and most recent research publications.
Please email the letter and attachments to Anuradha Kafle at anuradhak@sandeeonline.org and anu.sandee@gmail.com no later than February 15, 2007.