Understanding and reducing crop residue burning in North India
Crop residue burning in northern India causes severe air pollution and depletes soil fertility. According to media reports, farmers, who continue despite a ban, claim that they have no alternative. While law enforcement and a lack of mechanical alternatives have been proposed as main reasons for crop residue burning, the mindset of farmers remains unknown.
Time: 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Venue: Lecture Hall 1, Annexe, India International Centre, New Delhi 110001
Speaker: Max Friedrich, researcher, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
Chair: Bidisha Barooah, Senior Evaluation Specialist, 3ie
Discussant: Santosh Harish, Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi
Max Freidrich will present the results of a recent study using the risks, attitudes, norms, abilities and self-regulation psychological theory approach to determine the main drivers of and barriers to reducing crop residue burning. The discussion will focus on how they play a key role in crop residue management and how population-tailored behaviour change interventions can complement existing efforts to tackle crop residue burning.
About the speaker
Max Friedrich is a post-doctoral researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology in the Environmental and Health Psychology group. He holds a PhD in environmental science from University of Tübingen. As a 3ie grantee under the Increasing Latrine Use Evidence Programme, he has been working in India, developing and testing low-cost interventions to promote latrine use in Karnataka.