Rafiq plans to estimate the value of statistical life (VSL) in Pakistan using the Compensating Wage differentials among workers in Lahore facing fatal and non-fatal work-related risks. This would be the first such study in Pakistan and would help facilitate policy-making on the benefits of reducing pollution, health hazards, accident riks and other safety measures.

Jayasinghe proposes to study the economic incentives of Sri Lankan food processing firms to adopt solid waste management practices. The different types of solid waste controls of a firm will be juxtaposed with with nine market-based, regulatory, and liability incentives. He hopes to use the outcome of the analysis to develop an “incentive-based regulatory framework” for Sri Lanka that would safeguard the environment without affecting the relative competitiveness of the firms. He will also test whether firms care for their reputation and therefore adopt environment friendly waste treatment mechanisms.

Tobacco is considered a “merit bad” as its consumption has an adverse health impact and imposes a heavy burden on the economy, society and the environment. The production of tobacco also has adverse environmental impacts -- the cultivation and processing of tobacco can result in loss of forest cover, lead to gradual deforestation, and emission of CO2 due to burning of wood. Nayanata seeks to understand if there are alternative tobacco production technologies that can reduce the damage on the environment. Karnataka state in India is one of the largest producers of tobacco. Thus, Nayantara will study the economic feasibility of adopting alternatives to fuel wood in curing of tobacco in Karnataka, India.

Urban drainage is a major problem in Cuttack, one of the oldest and most densely populated cities of Orissa, India. Jogasankar wants to estimate the willingness to pay for better drainage systems in the city by examining the impact of improved drainage on property prices and adaptive expenditures that people make to avoid illness. This is study will inform policy makers who are currently investing in urban infrastructure about finding effective ways to finance these investments.

In Sri Lanka private individuals and households were given cultivation rights to a fraction of government lands but under a number of restrictions. Some commentators believe that this poorly designed land tenure system affects growth in farm productivity. Jeevika will examine the relationship between land rights, factor productivity and soil degradation. The study will help policy makers to identify the magnitude of efficiency gains that might arise from restructuring tenure.

The East Calcutta Wetlands (ECW), a Ramsar site, has a fragile ecosystem and serves the city of Kolkata as an organic sewage treatment zone. The sewage is used as fish-feed in the adjacent aquaculture farms and the wastewater is used for cultivation. Close proximity to Kolkata, however, poses the threat of land conversion for property development. Gautam Gupta and Vivekananda Mukherjee will attempt to measure the economic benefits from a wetland conservation programme, estimate the degree of dependence of the local community on the wetland, and examine the issue of property rights and incentives in the wetland area.

Kinjhar lake in Sindh province is one of the 19 Pakistani Ramsar sites. This lake is important for fishing, recreation, wildlife, flood control, ground water recharge, and fresh water supply but faces many threats from development. Eco-tourism, however, offers promise for conserving the Kinjhar lake. Thus, Tehmina wants to explore the potential for tourism to augment the livelihood of people living around the lake and how this might affect conservation of Kinjhar lake.

Nasima wants to study the possibility of sustainable water use for agriculture in Bangladesh. She will examine the relative efficiency of water use especially in parts of the country, where there is a water scarcity. She will estimate the marginal value product of water and evaluate the efficacy of marginal pricing rules in irrigation water allocation. This has policy implications for various government run canal irrigation projects under the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), which has leased out some projects to Water User Groups.