We provide the first evidence that individual-level questions find more open defecation than household-level questions.
Hi, I'm Dean Spears.
Bio
I'm an Economic Demographer, Development Economist, and Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. I'm also an affiliate of IZA, an affiliate of the Population Research Center at UT-Austin, founding execute director of r.i.c.e., and director of the Population Wellbeing Intiative. My research areas include: 1) the health, growth, and survival of children, especially in India, 2) the environment, air pollution, and climate change, and 3) population dimensions of social well-being. With Diane Coffey, I am the author of the award-winning book Where India Goes: Abandoned Toilets, Stunted Development, and the Costs of Caste.
Latest Books
Latest Research Papers
Measuring open defecation in India using survey questions: evidence from a randomised survey experiment
We provide the first evidence that individual-level questions find more open defecation than household-level questions.
The Consequences of Social Inequality for the Health and Development of India’s Children: The Case of Caste, Sanitation, and Child Height
Recent literature on caste, sanitation, and child net nutrition provides an example of one social context where social inequality makes an entire population less healthy. This paper presents new observational analysis of the India Human Development Survey that provides descriptive evidence of this mechanism.
Optimal Climate Policy and the Future of World Economic Development
How much should the present generations sacrifice to reduce emissions today, in order to reduce the future harms of climate change? We show that optimal climate policy similarly importantly depends on the future of the developing world.
Quantifying India’s Climate Vulnerability
This paper asks about the climate damages that Indian policymakers can expect. What is the likely magnitude of climate damages, and how sensitive are they to the level of warming?
Latest News & Commentary
Cooking with gas, not wood | The Hindu
Using cleaner fuels such as LPG is essential to reduce rural air pollution and improve health. What can policymakers do to achieve exclusive use of clean fuels in rural India?
Latest Videos & Podcasts
Interview on Where India Goes: Abandoned Toilets, Stunted Development, and the Costs of Caste
We provide the first evidence that individual-level questions find more open defecation than household-level questions.