Allen Blackman
Nonresident Fellow
An expert on environmental and natural resource policy in developing countries, Allen Blackman focuses principally on industrial pollution control and tropical deforestation in Latin America and Asia. Much of his research evaluates environmental management strategies that aim to overcome barriers to conventional regulation in developing countries, including weak institutions and missing infrastructure. He is currently the Principal Economic Advisor in the Inter-American Development Bank’s Climate and Sustainable Development Sector.
Blackman's work on industrial pollution control analyzes public disclosure programs, economic incentive instruments, and voluntary regulation. He has also studied the adoption and diffusion of clean and climate-friendly technologies. His research on tropical deforestation assesses agroforestry systems and conservation policies such as protected areas and payments for environmental services initiatives. He also has worked extensively on U.S. environmental regulatory reform, including voluntary programs and mortgage innovations designed to affect land use.
Past work has examined conservation policies in Mexico and Costa Rica, air pollution issues along the U.S.–Mexico border, voluntary regulation in Mexico and Colombia, and voluntary efforts to clean up brownfield properties in the United States.
Education
- PhD in economics, University of Texas at Austin, 1993
- BA in political science and international relations, University of Pennsylvania, 1983
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Common Resources — Nov 19, 2021
Breathe Easy: Smartphone Apps Can Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution
Training in the use of air quality mobile apps may be an effective means of reducing adverse health effects of severe air pollution in developing countries, where air pollution has the most significant impact on human health.
Media Highlight — Aug 27, 2021
Indigenous Defenders: Why Tribes Do Conservation Better Than Conservationists
Indigenous Defenders: Why Tribes Do Conservation Better Than Conservationists
Common Resources — Jun 21, 2021
Empowering Local Communities to Manage Their Forests: Nine New Studies Examine the Ecological and Socioeconomic Effects
Decentralized forest management is often considered to be a valuable tool for ecological and socioeconomic advancement within developing nations. However, recent work has shown that its effectiveness is highly dependent on the quality of local governance.
Common Resources — Apr 28, 2021
Can Timber Extraction Permits Help Conserve Tropical Forests?
Some claim that awarding permits for timber extraction can help conserve tropical forests by discouraging illegal logging and land-use change. A recent journal article examines whether satellite data measuring forest loss support this claim.
Journal Article — Aug 24, 2020
How Costly are License Plate-Based Driving Restrictions: Contingent Valuation Evidence from Beijing
How Costly are License Plate-Based Driving Restrictions: Contingent Valuation Evidence from Beijing
Journal Article — Jul 1, 2018
A Contingent Valuation Approach to Estimating Regulatory Costs: Mexico’s Day Without Driving Program
A Contingent Valuation Approach to Estimating Regulatory Costs: Mexico’s Day Without Driving Program
Journal Article — Apr 3, 2017
Titling Indigenous Communities Protects Forests in the Peruvian Amazon
Titling Indigenous Communities Protects Forests in the Peruvian Amazon
Working Paper — Aug 14, 2015
Does Eco-certification Stem Tropical Deforestation? Forest Stewardship Council Certification in Mexico
Does Eco-certification Stem Tropical Deforestation? Forest Stewardship Council Certification in Mexico
Common Resources — Nov 19, 2021
Breathe Easy: Smartphone Apps Can Reduce Exposure to Air Pollution
Training in the use of air quality mobile apps may be an effective means of reducing adverse health effects of severe air pollution in developing countries, where air pollution has the most significant impact on human health.
Common Resources — Jun 21, 2021
Empowering Local Communities to Manage Their Forests: Nine New Studies Examine the Ecological and Socioeconomic Effects
Decentralized forest management is often considered to be a valuable tool for ecological and socioeconomic advancement within developing nations. However, recent work has shown that its effectiveness is highly dependent on the quality of local governance.
Common Resources — Apr 28, 2021
Can Timber Extraction Permits Help Conserve Tropical Forests?
Some claim that awarding permits for timber extraction can help conserve tropical forests by discouraging illegal logging and land-use change. A recent journal article examines whether satellite data measuring forest loss support this claim.
Common Resources — Nov 4, 2020
License Plate–Based Driving Restrictions Programs: Where Do They Make Sense?
Despite its growing popularity worldwide, license plate–based driving restrictions do not always make good economic sense. The advisability of implementing or continuing driving-restriction programs depends critically on location-related factors.
Media Highlight — Aug 27, 2021
Indigenous Defenders: Why Tribes Do Conservation Better Than Conservationists
Indigenous Defenders: Why Tribes Do Conservation Better Than Conservationists
Media Highlight — Apr 10, 2017
Land Titling for Indigenous Communities Leads to Forest Protection, Peer-Reviewed Study Finds
Land Titling for Indigenous Communities Leads to Forest Protection, Peer-Reviewed Study Finds
Media Highlight — Apr 12, 2016
Helping the Inter-American Development Bank Reduce Forest Loss and Health Risks in Rural Honduras via Fuel Efficient Cook Stoves
Helping the Inter-American Development Bank Reduce Forest Loss and Health Risks in Rural Honduras via Fuel Efficient Cook Stoves
Media Highlight — Jan 17, 2016
License Plate Restrictions Are Not the Answer for Polluted New Delhi
License Plate Restrictions Are Not the Answer for Polluted New Delhi