Subhrendu K Pattanayak (Duke University). “Supplying clean energy in developing countries: Evidence on the role of NGOs in the Himalayas.”

Abstract: As air pollution (ambient & indoors) gets worse, especially in Asia, economists have entered this fray by drawing attention to preferences & constraints faced by households (as well as firms, governments, NGOs) using rigorous quantitative approaches. We illustrate one such example, drawing on a multiyear multi-stage experimental study in the Himalayas to promote electric cooking. By combining a stratified field experiment in India with a triple-differences estimation strategy, we show that a local development NGO’s prior engagement with target communities increases the effectiveness of a technology- promotion intervention implemented by it by at least 30 percent. This “NGO effect” has implications for the generalizability and scalability of evidence from experimental research conducted with local implementation partners.

Kindly direct all questions regarding this event to Pamela Jagger at [email protected]