Biomass burning of agricultural field residue (stalks and stubble) during wheat and rice harvesting periods in the Indo-Gangetic plains has led to substantial emission of trace gases and particles. This paper seeks to address the regulation of emissions from open field burning of rice residue in Punjab, India by first uncovering the factors that explain on field residue burning of rice residue in Punjab. The results suggest that the use of a combine harvester was the single most important determinant of the decision to burn rice residue.

Hotter years are associated with lower economic output in country-level data. We show that the effect of temperature on labor is an  important part of the explanation. Using high-frequency micro data from selected firms in India, we find that worker productivity on hot days declines by 2 to 4 percent per degree celsius. Sustained heat also increases worker absenteeism.

It is well-recognized that new technology is a crucial part of any solution to the problem of climate change. But since investments in research and development take time to mature, price and quantity instruments, i.e., carbon taxes and cap-and-trade, run into a commitment problem. We assume that the government cannot commit to the level of a policy instrument in advance, but sets the level to be optimal ex-post.

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam each conducted a Ricardian analysis of crop net revenue (NR) in their country. The countries defined seasons slightly differently depending on their monsoon and dry periods. They also sometimes included slightly different variables in their regressions. The countries are small so that the climate results are often insignificant. However, the Ricardian model does predict near term damage in Bangladesh in the CanESM climate scenario and near and far term damage in Thailand in the CMCC climate scenario.

Increasing urbanization and industrial development upstream of the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam (MRD) including the construction of a series of dams for hydroelectricity generation is changing the downstream risk of flooding. Concerns about the likely influence of global climate change and rising sea levels add further uncertainty to this risk that threatens the livelihood of farmers.

This paper aims to review empirical studies regarding factors influencing farmers’ adaptation to climate change and document those factors in a systematic manner. Adaptation to climate change is an important research topic, especially in agriculture, a sector reliant on climate-sensitive resources. Several studies have examined the adaptation issues and identified factors that influence the adaptive responses of farmers in specific contexts or regions. However, little research effort has been paid to collecting and categorizing those factors.

Coral reef ecosystems provide many important services to society. Their importance is not only proved by their beauty but also because they provide food and livelihood for millions of people in communities around the world, especially in developing countries. This paper estimates the economic value of coral ecosystems and potential impacts of climate change and fishing activities on the loss of coral reefs in Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam.