Candidate: Vikrant Kamble

Dissertation Title: “Essays in Environmental and Development Economics”

Abstract:

UN Sustainable development goals are formed to achieve a range of environmental, social, and economic indicators. This thesis explores the impact of policies to reduce environmental degradation on agricultural outcomes and the labor market for sustainable development. Emerging nations like India have committed to implementing environmental policies, but these policies can have varying effects on developmental parameters. The first chapter of the thesis focuses on the effects of one of India's most ambitious afforestation projects, which aimed to mitigate biodiversity degradation. The study finds that this project had a long-term positive impact on agricultural production, the area under cultivation, and crop yields. The chapter investigates the role of rainfall as a mechanism through which the afforestation project influenced the agricultural sector. In the second chapter, the thesis examines the effects of a policy banning mining activities in India to reduce environmental degradation caused by illegal mining. The findings indicate that the closure of large-scale mines led to a shift in labor supply, resulting in reduced wages for agricultural laborers due to the substitution effect. This effect is particularly significant considering the substantial population dependent on the agricultural sector in India. Lastly, the final chapter explores the caregiving dynamics within married couples regarding short-term illness caused by pollution. Analyzing survey data from India, the thesis provides evidence that individuals adjust their labor force participation to balance their caregiving responsibilities with household utility when their spouse falls ill due to pollution.

In summary, this thesis investigates how policies to mitigate environmental degradation impact agricultural outcomes and the labor market. It demonstrates the positive long-term effects of afforestation on agricultural production, explores the adverse wage effects of banning mining activities, and highlights the caregiving adjustments individuals make when their spouse's health deteriorates due to pollution.

Committee:

Matthew Oliver (co-advisor), Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dylan Brewer (co-advisor), Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Casey Wichman, Associate Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Robert Gonzalez, Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Nicholas Magnan (external member), Professor, University of Georgia

Location: Old Civil Engineering Building Room 204

Time: June 15, 2023, 11am-2pm