Job Market Paper:

• Narco-Deforestation: The Environmental Effects of Coca Cultivation

*Winner of the 2022 Research Award by the Embassy of Italy in UK and the Association of Italian Scientists in UK.

Abstract. This paper explores the environmental consequences of illegal drug production, specifically focusing on the impact of coca prices and cultivation on tree cover density in Peru. Using satellite imagery and granular data on the economic value of coca cultivation, I show that fluctuations in coca profitability significantly drive deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. My findings show that the 40% increase in coca prices observed during the study period led to an estimated loss of 6,450 km^2 of tree cover. Additionally, I provide suggestive evidence of a technological revolution — marked by the widespread use of agrochemicals — that has expanded the coca cultivation frontier to remote areas of the Amazon, transforming it into a diffuse source of environmental degradation. This shift has enabled illegal coca farming in previously unsuitable strategic locations. The technological advancements, increasing productivity of forest-derived land uses, presented Narcos with fresh economic opportunities for environmental crimes.

Work in Progress:

• The Role of Environmental Regulation: Evidence from India’s Crop Burning Crisis (DRAFT AVAILABLE SOON)

Abstract. This paper examines the impact of environmental regulation on crop residue burning and air pollution in Northern India. Exploiting a spatial regression discontinuity at the Punjab–Haryana border with satellite data from 2012–2023, I find that Haryana’s enforcement of crop burning bans reduced the probability of rice residue fires by 17–22% relative to neighboring Punjab. This decline in agricultural fires translated into reductions in PM2.5 concentrations across the border. The results show that state-level environmental regulation can effectively reduce pollution even when externalities extend beyond jurisdictional boundaries. 

• Adapting the Landscape? Climate Extremes and Land Use changes (DRAFT AVAILABLE SOON)

Abstract. This paper investigates whether societies adapt to recurring climatic shocks by modifying land use over time. Focusing on India from 2001 to 2010, I examine the medium-term effects of extreme precipitation events on cropland, forest cover, urban land, and night-time light intensity. Using district-year panel data and a difference-in-differences empirical approach, I find precise null effects on land use and economic activity. Specifically, I can exclude changes greater than 0.11 standard deviations for cropland, built-up areas, and night-time lights.

• Mitigating Crop Residue Burning and Air Pollution: Evidence from Subsidy Assistance and Machinery Adoption in India 

*Funded by J-PAL with Community Jameel - (Air and Water Labs) - temporarily on hold. 

Pre-Doc

Prior to joining QMUL, I have been full-time Research Officer for Joachim Voth and Bruno Caprettini at the University of Zurich.  Here, I worked on a diverse set of projects in the fields of Labor, Political Economy and Economic History, spanning all phases of the research process. 

A few papers I worked on: 

• Rage Against the Machines: Labor-Saving Technology and Unrest in Industrializing England

• The Electoral Impact of Wealth Redistribution: Evidence from the Italian Land Reform

• Fighting for Growth: Labor Scarcity and Technological Progress During the British Industrial Revolution 

• The impact of Covid-19 and health system performance on vaccination hesitancy: Evidence from a two-leg representative survey in the UK