CPI Senior Analyst, Dimitri Szerman, has been invited to present his article “Infrastructure and Deforestation: Recent Evidence from Power Plants in the Amazon” at the 6th Annual Association of Environmental and Resources Economists (AERE) Summer Conference, which will take place between May 31st and June 2nd in Pittsburgh, USA.

AERE is an international organization based in Florida gathering the world’s leading environmental and natural resources economists.

According to Szerman, AERE is the main association of its kind, with more than a thousand members in 30 countries. “This is the entity’s most important conference, with more than 300 pieces of work. This year, three themes will stand out, one of which is about new environmental economic data opportunities. This is where our work fits in,” he stated.

Szerman will talk about the impact of power plants’ construction in the Amazon in the early 2000s. According to the researcher, results from the analysis of satellite data confirm that some power plants are responsible for part of the deforestation that occurs in their surroundings. “But the most noteworthy conclusion is that some power plants actually prevented the forest from clear-cutting, meaning that there would be more deforestation if some of these power plants had not been constructed,” he explains.

While his work on power plants was accepted for a sponsored session, the process is quite competitive, and only 15 out of 93 proposals were selected. “This is great, as the sessions give considerable visibility to the research. I hope to discuss and exchange views on the subject with other researchers present at the congress”, he said.

CPI analysts Clarissa Gandour and Arthur Bragança were also accepted to present their work at the AERE this year.