PhD Candidate, Economics · Environmental & Development Economics
I am a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
My research lies at the intersection of environmental and development economics. I study the transboundary impacts of international waste trade, with a particular focus on how imported plastic waste affects local pollution exposure, health, and economic outcomes in Southeast Asia.
My work combines quasi-experimental methods with high-resolution spatial data, administrative records, and remote sensing to inform environmental policy and global trade regulation.
If you would like to contact me, please email mshandal@ucsc.eduJob Market Paper
Exploits China’s 2018 National Sword policy as a quasi-experiment to estimate how rerouted plastic waste affects PM2.5 downwind and indirect outcomes in Indonesia.