Air pollution could be reduced by incentivizing local government officials to control crop burning

Air pollution could be reduced by incentivizing local government officials to control crop burning

Crop-residue burning in South Asia decreases by up to 14.5% when smoke from fires would affect bureaucrats’ home districts instead of neighbouring ones. Bureaucratic action to punish farmers deters future fires by a further 13%. Thus, using administrator incentives to control crop burning could guide policy towards improving air quality and reducing infant and child mortality. Fewer fires are lit when the smoke would affect bureaucrats’ home dis…