Yusuke Kuwayama
Fellow and VALUABLES Consortium Director
Yusuke Kuwayama is a fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF) and an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Kuwayama’s research focuses on the economics of water resource management and the societal value of Earth science information.
Kuwayama strives to conduct economic analysis that leads to effective and efficient policy solutions for three major problems related to water quality and scarcity: inefficient water use in the agricultural sector; tradeoffs across economic and ecosystem uses of water; and wastewater management. The methods and techniques he uses to address these issues vary depending on the specific research question, but usually consist of dynamic optimization, applied econometrics, and policy analysis.
Kuwayama is also the Director of the Consortium for the Valuation of Applications Benefits Linked with Earth Science (VALUABLES), a cooperative agreement between RFF and NASA to carry out research, outreach, and communications activities relating to the societal value of information derived from Earth observations.
Kuwayama’s research is often interdisciplinary in nature, involving collaboration with hydrologists, ecologists, and engineers. He has been PI or co-PI on grants supported by a variety of funders including NASA, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His work has been published in outlets such as the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Land Economics, Environmental and Resource Economics, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Regional Environmental Change, and Hydrogeology Journal.
Education
- PhD in agricultural and applied economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2011
- MS in economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006
- AB in economics, Amherst College, 2004
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Explainer — Apr 19, 2022
Value of Science 203: The Value of Scientific Information When Future Outcomes Are Uncertain
In this explainer, we examine how researchers can use impact assessments to estimate the value of information in scenarios marked by uncertainty.
Explainer — Mar 24, 2022
Value of Science 202: Quantitative Methods for Impact Assessments
This installment of our Value of Science explainer series describes how differences in outcomes between references and counterfactual cases can be expressed quantitatively to aid decisionmakers.
Journal Article — Feb 16, 2022
A More Comprehensive Estimate of the Value of Water Quality
Coauthored by researchers at RFF, this article in the Journal of Public Economics estimates homeowners' willingness to pay for water quality improvements.
Explainer — Jan 25, 2022
Value of Science 201: Monetizing the Value of Information
This explainer examines the methods and benefits involved in expressing scientific information in monetary terms.
Journal Article — Jul 10, 2018
Estimating the Impact of Drought on Agriculture Using the U.S. Drought Monitor
Estimating the Impact of Drought on Agriculture Using the U.S. Drought Monitor
Journal Article — Jun 1, 2018
Socio-environmental consideration of phosphorus flows in the urban sanitation chain of contrasting cities
Socio-environmental consideration of phosphorus flows in the urban sanitation chain of contrasting cities
Journal Article — Nov 29, 2017
The Value of Remotely Sensed Information: The Case of a GRACE-Enhanced Drought Severity Index
The Value of Remotely Sensed Information: The Case of a GRACE-Enhanced Drought Severity Index
Explainer — Apr 19, 2022
Value of Science 203: The Value of Scientific Information When Future Outcomes Are Uncertain
In this explainer, we examine how researchers can use impact assessments to estimate the value of information in scenarios marked by uncertainty.
Webinar — Nov 14, 2022
Using Satellite Data and Scientific Information to Advance Environmental Justice: What Does Success Look Like?
Using Satellite Data and Scientific Information to Advance Environmental Justice: What Does Success Look Like?
Webinar — Oct 31, 2022
How Can Scientists Work with Decisionmakers to Understand How Satellite Data Really Influences Decisions?
A VALUABLES webinar examining how scientists and decisionmakers can improve their engagement to inform decisions and increase the value of satellite information
Workshops — Dec 17, 2021
VALUABLES Community of Practice Meeting
A presentation of research projects quantifying the benefits of using satellite data in socioeconomic decisionmaking.
Workshops — Oct 30, 2019
2019 VALUABLES Consortium Annual Workshop
2019 VALUABLES Consortium Annual Workshop
Common Resources — Jun 26, 2020
Quantifying the Socioeconomic Benefits of Using Satellite Data to Detect Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms
Satellite data can keep lake goers safe from harmful algal blooms—and offer broad socioeconomic benefits through decreased healthcare costs.
Resources Magazine — Mar 18, 2020
Satellite Data Can Inform Water Policy
Earth scientists and water managers can use satellite data to maintain water quality and availability.
Common Resources — Aug 26, 2019
Are Exemptions from Environmental Regulation Good or Bad?
This blog reviews how exempting certain polluters from environmental regulations can affect society.
Resources Magazine — Mar 13, 2019
The Economic Impacts of Drought on US Agriculture
New research examines how drought affects crop yields in the United States, deepening our understanding of the economic impacts of a costly natural disaster that is projected to become more severe in the face of climate change.
Press Release — Jul 11, 2019
Satellite Imagery Saves Federal Agencies up to $7.7 Million per Year in Post-Wildfire Costs
A new VALUABLES study finds that using the Landsat satellite program is the most cost-effective method to assess burned land and prioritize responses.
Media Highlight — Apr 5, 2012
Getting to Market: Detours on the Road to Oil Abundance
Getting to Market: Detours on the Road to Oil Abundance