Shareen Joshi, Georgetown University

About the Presentation

Toxic ambient water can be deadly, particularly in developing countries where pollution levels are high. We explore the impacts of judicial policies on surface water quality in India. We compile court cases, judges’ cases histories, river pollution and child mortality at the district level. Leveraging random judge assignment, we estimate the effect of “green” verdicts on district-level pollution in India. We find that rulings precipitated immediate reductions in surface water pollution, particularly in the Ganga River basin. Effects are confined to the year of the ruling and not persistent. We also find limited impacts on neonatal and infant mortality.

About the Speaker

Shareen Joshi is an Associate Professor of International Development at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Her research focuses on issues of inequality, human capital investment and grassroots collective action in South Asia. Her work has been published in the fields of development economics, population studies, environmental studies and gender studies. She holds a PhD in Economics from Yale University.