Yonas Alem
Om Yonas Alem
Yonas Alem is the Director of Academic Programs at the Environment for Development (EfD) and an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg. He is also a researcher at MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). His research is at the intersection of development economics, environmental economics, and behavioral and experimental economics with a particular focus on risk and shocks, energy and climate, technology adoption, preference formation, and poverty dynamics in the developing regions of Africa and South Asia. Alem's research uses panel data econometrics and impact evaluation methods, primarily large-scale randomized controlled trials.
Current Positions and Affiliations
Director, Academic Programs (EfD)
Associate Professor, Department of Economics
Researcher, Jameel-Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), King-Climate Initiative (K-CAI)
Recent Teaching
Advanced Panel Data Econometrics (PhD)
Causal Inference and Impact Evaluation (PhD)
Development Economics (PhD)
Academic Writing & Research Ethics (PhD)
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Alem, Y., & Tato, G. Shocks and Emotional Well-being: Panel Data Evidence from South Africa (Forthcoming, World Development).
Alem, Y. Kocher, M., Shurz, S., Carlsson, F. & Lindahl, M. (2023) Social Preference Networks, Forthcoming Experimental Economics.
Alem, Y., Hassen, S., and Köhlin, G. (2023) Decision-making within the Household: The Role of Division of Labor and Differences in Preferences, Forthcoming, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.
Alem, Y., & Dugoua, E. (2022). Passive Learning and Incentivized Communication: A Randomized Controlled Trial in India Economic Development and Cultural Change, 71(1).
Alem, Y., & Colmer, J. (2022). Blame it on the rain: Rainfall variability, consumption smoothing, and subjective well-being in rural Ethiopia, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 104(3): 905-920.
Alem, Y., Behrend, H., Belot, M., & Biro, A.. (2021). Mind Training, Stress and Behaviour - a Randomised Experiment, PLOS ONE, 16(11): e0258172.
Alem, Y., & Demeke, E. (2020). The Persistence of Energy Poverty: A Dynamic Probit Analysis, Energy Economics, 90: 1-11.
Ruhinduka, R., Alem, Y., Eggert, H., & Lybbert, T. (2020). Paddy Post-Harvest: The Role of Prefer- ences in Storage and Processing Decisions of Tanzanian Rice Farmers, European Review of Agricultural Economics, 47(4): 1587-1620.
Alem, Y & Andersson, L. (2019). International Remittances and Private Inter-household Transfers: Exploring the Links, European Journal of Development Research, 31: 902-928.
Alem, Y., Eggert, H., Kocher, M., & Ruhinduka, R. (2018). Why (Field) Experiments on Unethical Behavior are Important: Comparing Stated and Revealed Behavior, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 156: 71-85.
Alem, Y., & Broussard, H. N. (2018). The impact of Safety Nets on Technology Adoption: A Difference- in-differences Analysis, Agricultural Economics, 49(1): 13-24.
Alem, Y., Damte, A., Köhlin, G., & Mekonen, A. (2016). Modelling Household Cooking Fuel Choice: a Random Effects Multinomial Logit Analysis, Energy Economics, 59: 129-137.
Alem, Y., Eggert, H., & Ruhinduka, R. (2015). Improving Welfare through Climate-friendly Agriculture: The Case of the System of Rice Intensification, Environmental and Resource Economics, 62: 243-263.
Alem, Y., (2015). Poverty persistence and intra-household heterogeneity in occupations: Evidence from urban Ethiopia, Oxford Development Studies, 43(1): 20-43.
Alem, Y., Hassen, S., & Köhlin, G. (2014). Adoption and Disadoption of Electric Cookstoves in Urban Ethiopia: Evidence from Panel Data, Resource and Energy Economics, 38: 110-124.
Sterner, T., Alem, Y. et al., (2014). The Environment for Development Initiative: lessons learned in re- search, academic capacity building and policy intervention to manage resources for sustainable growth, Environment and Development Economics, 19(3): 367-391.
Alem, Y., Köhlin, G., & Stage, J. (2014). The Persistence of subjective Poverty in Urban Ethiopia, World Development, 56: 51-61.
Alem, Y., and Köhlin, G. (2013). The Impact of Food Price Inflation on Subjective Well-being: Evidence from Urban Ethiopia, Social Indicators Research, 116: 853-868.
Ekbom, A., Alem, Y., and Sterner, T. (2013). Integrating Soil Science into Agricultural Production Frontiers. Environment and Development Economics, 18(3): 291-308.
Alem, Y., and Söderbom, M., (2012). Household-level consumption in urban Ethiopia: The effects of a large food price shock. World Development, 40: 146-162.
Alem, Y., Bezabih, M., Kassie, M., and Zikhali, P. (2010). Does fertilizer use respond to rainfall variability? Panel data evidence from Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics, 41: 165-175.
Articles Under Consideration
Alem, Y. and Schurz, S. Parental Decision-Making and Educational Investments: Experimental Evi- dence from Tanzania (Revise & Resubmit, Journal of Development Economics).
Alem, Y., and Abebe, M. Drought, Livestock Holding, and Milk Production: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis (Under Review)
Alem, Y. Mitigating Climate Change through Sustainable Technology Adoption: Insights from Cook- stove Interventions (Under Review)
Alem, Y. & Ruhinduka, R. Saving Africa’s Tropical Forests through Energy Transition: a Randomised Controlled Trial in Tanzania (Under Review).
Ongoing Research
Inconsistency Across Inter-temporal Choices (With John Loeser, World Bank and Aprajit Mahajan, University of California Berkeley)
Reducing Biomass Fuel Use and Improving Productivity of Firms: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Tanzania (With John Loeser, World Bank, and Remidius Ruhinduka, University of Dar es Salaam)
The Impact of a Large-Scale Climatic Shock on Technology Use: Exploring the Mechanisms (With Meseret Abebe)
The Impact of Improved Cookstoves Beyond Fuelwood Saving: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Ethiopia (With Seid Hassen, Policy Study Institute, and Gunnar Kohlin, EfD Global Hub)
-
Shocks and mental health: Panel data evidence from South
Africa
Yonas Alem, G. L. Tato
World Development - 2023 -
Decision-making within the household: The role of division of labor and differences in
preferences
Yonas Alem, Sied Hassen, Gunnar Köhlin
Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization - 2023 -
Distributional preferences in adolescent peer
networks
Yonas Alem, Martin G. Kocher, S. Schurz, Fredrik Carlsson, Mikael Lindahl
Experimental Economics - 2022 -
Learning from Unincentivized and Incentivized Communication: A Randomized Controlled Trial in
India
Yonas Alem, E. Dugoua
Economic Development and Cultural Change - 2022 -
Blame it on the rain: Rainfall variability, consumption smoothing, and subjective well-being in rural
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, J. Colmer
American Journal of Agricultural Economics - 2022 -
Mind training, stress and behaviour-A randomised
experiment
Yonas Alem, H. Behrendt, M. Belot, A. Biro
PLoS ONE - 2021 -
Smallholder rice farmers' post-harvest decisions: preferences and structural
factors
R. D. Ruhinduka, Yonas Alem, Håkan Eggert, T. Lybbert
European Review of Agricultural Economics - 2020 -
The persistence of energy poverty: A dynamic probit
analysis
Yonas Alem, E. Demeke
Energy Economics - 2020 -
International Remittances and Private Interhousehold Transfers: Exploring the
Links
Yonas Alem, L. Andersson
European Journal of Development Research - 2019 -
Why (field) experiments on unethical behavior are important: Comparing stated and revealed
behavior
Yonas Alem, Håkan Eggert, Martin G. Kocher, Remidius Denis Ruhinduka
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization - 2018 -
The impact of safety nets on technology adoption: a difference-in-differences
analysis
Yonas Alem, N. H. Broussard
Agricultural Economics - 2018 -
Passive Learning and Incentivized Communication: A Randomized Controlled Trial in
India
Yonas Alem, Eugenie Dugoua
2018 -
Decision-making within the Household: The Role of Autonomy and Differences in
Preferences
Yonas Alem, Sied Hassen, Gunnar Köhlin
2018 -
Mindfulness and Stress - a Randomised
Experiment
Yonas Alem, Hannah Behrendt, Michele Belot, Anikó Bíró
2018 -
Migration as an Adaptation Strategy to Weather Variability: An Instrumental Variables Probit
Analysis
Yonas Alem, Mathilde Maurel, Katrin Millock
2016 -
Why (field) experiments on unethical behavior are important: Comparing stated and revealed
behavior
Yonas Alem, Håkan Eggert, Martin G. Kocher, Remidius Denis Ruhinduka
2016 -
Mind, Behaviour and Health - a Randomised
Experiment
Yonas Alem, Hannah Behrendt, Michele Belot, Aniko Bíró
2016 -
Modelling Household Cooking Fuel Choice: a Panel Multinomial Logit
Approach
Yonas Alem, Abebe D. Beyene, Gunnar Köhlin, Alemmu Mekonnen
2015 -
Improving Welfare Through Climate-Friendly Agriculture: The Case of the System of Rice
Intensification
Yonas Alem, Håkan Eggert, Remidius Ruhinduka
Environmental and Resource Economics - 2015 -
International Remittances and Private Inter-household Transfers: Exploring the
Links
Yonas Alem, Lisa Andersson
2015 -
Improving Welfare through Climate-friendly Agriculture: The Case of the System of Rice
Intensification
Yonas Alem, Håkan Eggert, Remidius Ruhinduka
2015 -
Poverty Persistence and Intra-Household Heterogeneity in Occupations: Evidence from Urban
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem
Oxford Development Studies - 2015 -
The Impact of Food Price Inflation on Subjective Well-being: Evidence From Urban
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Gunnar Köhlin
Social Indicators Research - 2014 -
Adoption and disadoption of electric cookstoves in urban Ethiopia: Evidence from panel
data
Yonas Alem, Sied Hassen, Gunnar Köhlin
Resources and Energy Economics - 2014 -
The Environment for Development Initiative: lessons learned in research, academic capacity building and policy intervention to manage resources for sustainable
growth
Thomas Sterner, Yonas Alem, F. Alpizar, C. S. Berck, C. A. C. Rebolledo, J. Dikgang, S. Kirama, Gunnar Köhlin, J. Mariara-Kabubo, A. Mekonnen, J. T. Xu
Environment and Development Economics - 2014 -
The persistence of subjective poverty in urban
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Gunnar Köhlin, Jesper Stage
World Development - 2014 -
Optimal Expectations and the Welfare Cost of Climate
Variability
Yonas Alem, Jonathan Colmer
2013 -
Poverty Persistence and Intra-Household Heterogeneity in Occupations: Evidence from Urban
Ehtiopia
Yonas Alem
2013 -
Relative Standing and Life-Satisfaction: Does Unobserved Heterogeneity
Matter?
Yonas Alem
2013 -
Integrating soil science into agricultural production
frontiers
Anders Ekbom, Yonas Alem, Thomas Sterner
Environment and Development Economics - 2013 -
The Dynamics of Electric Cookstove Adoption: Panel data evidence from
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Sied Hassen, Gunnar Köhlin
2013 -
Do Safety Nets Promote Technology Adoption? Panel data evidence from rural
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Nzinga H. Broussard
2013 -
Integrating Soil Science into Agricultural Production
Frontiers
-
The Persistence of Subjective Poverty in Urban
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Gunnar Köhlin, Jesper Stage
2012 -
Life Satisfaction in Urban Ethiopia: Trends and
determinants
Yonas Alem, Gunnar Köhlin
2012 -
Household-Level Consumption in Urban Ethiopia: The
Effects
Yonas Alem, Måns Söderbom
World Development - 2012 -
Essays on Shocks, Welfare, and Poverty Dynamics: Microeconometric Evidence from
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem
2011 -
Does fertilizer use respond to rainfall variability? Panel data evidence from
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Menale Kassie, Mintewab Bezabih, Precious Zikhali
Agricultural Economics - 2010 -
Does fertilizer use respond to rainfall variability? Panel data evidence from
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Mintewab Bezabih, Menale Kassie, Precious Zikhali
Agricultural Economics - 2010 -
Does Fertilizer Use Respond to Rainfall Variability? Panel Data Evidence from
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, Mintewab Bezabih, Menale Kassie, Precious Zikhali
2009 -
Does asset index better capture households' welfare? Evidence from urban
Ethiopia
Yonas Alem, F. Nelsson
Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Ethiopian Economy - 2009