Research
we use social science, natural science, and data science to better understand how we can effectively manage global resources
new stuff
the global economic consequences of climate change: an empirical perspective (nber)
what can satellite imagery and machine learning measure? (nber)
climate change, conflict, and the risk of economic collapse in africa (nber)
data anomalies and the economic commitment from climate change (nature)
impacts of climate change on global agriculture accounting for adaptation (nature)
mortality caused by tropical cyclones in the united states (nature)
collaborations
-
A multi-institution research team advancing the frontier of climate change economics.
Directors: Michael Greenstone, Solomon Hsiang, Trevor Houser, Robert Kopp
some outputs:
-
An effort to digitize, merge, and extract structured information from 1.6 million historical aerial photographs, mostly in Africa.
Our objective is to understand long-term economic development and its relationship to the environment.
PIs: Hannah Druckenmiller, Solomon Hsiang, Andreas Madestam, Anna Tompsett
some outputs:
-
A consortium that both provides access to low-cost machine learning with satellite imagery and develops new interlinked technologies in this space.
some outputs:
climate change
-
Handbook of the Economics of Climate Change, Science Direct, 2024
Fifth National Climate Assessment Chapter 19: Economics, U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2023
The Global Economic Impact of Climate Change: An Empirical Perspective, NBER, 2025
Are We Adapting to Climate Change?, NBER, 2024
Accounting for Unobservable Heterogeneity in Cross Section Using Spatial First Differences, NBER, 2018
Social and economic impacts of climate, Science, 2016
Climate Econometrics, NBER, 2016
Opportunities for advances in climate change economics, Science, 2016
Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus, Columbia University Press, 2015
Using Weather Data and Climate Model Output in Economic Analyses of Climate Change, NBER, 2013
-
Impacts of climate change on global agriculture accounting for adaptation, Nature, 2025
DSCIM-Coastal v1. 1: an open-source modeling platform for global impacts of sea level rise, Geosci. Model Dev, 2023
Valuing the Global Mortality Consequences of Climate Change Accounting for Adaptation Costs and Benefits, NBER, 2022
Labor disutility in a warmer world: The impact of climate change on the global workforce, SSRN, 2022
Estimating a Social Cost of Carbon for Global Energy Consumption, Nature, 2021
Estimating economic damage from climate change in the United States, Science, 2017
-
Climate Change, Conflict, and the Risk of Economic Collapse in Africa, NBER, 2025
Data anomalies cause unprecedented estimate for the economic commitment of climate change, NBER, 2024
Quantifying climate change loss and damage consistent with a social cost of greenhouse gases, NBER, 2023
The Marginal Product of Climate, NBER, 2017
Global Non-linear Effect of Temperature on Economic Production, Nature, 2015
Geography, Depreciation, and Growth, American Economic Review, 2015
Tropical Economics, American Economic Review, 2015
Temperatures and cyclones strongly associated with economic production in the Caribbean and Central America, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2010
-
Climate Change, Conflict, and the Risk of Economic Collapse in Africa, NBER, 2025
New Evidence on the Economics of Climate and Conflict, NBER, 2024
Destructive Behavior, Judgment, and Economic Decision-making under Thermal Stress, NBER, 2020
Climate and Conflict, NBER, 2014
Reconciling climate-conflict meta-analyses: reply to Buhaug et al., Climate Change, 2014
Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict, Science, 2013
Civil Conflicts are associated with the global climate, Nature, 2011
-
Mortality Caused by Tropical Cyclones in the United States, Nature, 2024
Tropical Cyclones: From the Influence of Climate to Their Socioeconomic Impacts, AGU, 2015
Geography, Depreciation, and Growth, American Economic Review, 2015
The Causal Effect of Environmental Catastrophe on Long-Run Economic Growth: Evidence From 6,700 Cyclones, NBER, 2014
Destruction, Disinvestment, and Death: Economic and Human Losses Following Environmental Disaster, SSRN, 2013
Adaptation to Cyclone Risk: Evidence from the Global Cross-Section, Climate Change Economics, 2012
Temperatures and cyclones strongly associated with economic production in the Caribbean and Central America, PNAS, 2010
-
Impacts of climate change on global agriculture accounting for adaptation, Nature, 2025
Quantifying climate change loss and damage consistent with a social cost of greenhouse gases, NBER, 2023
DSCIM-Coastal v1. 1: an open-source modeling platform for global impacts of sea level rise, Geosci. Model Dev, 2023
Valuing the Global Mortality Consequences of Climate Change Accounting for Adaptation Costs and Benefits, NBER, 2022
The Welfare Economics of a Data Driven Social Cost of Carbon, AGU, 2022
Labor disutility in a warmer world: The impact of climate change on the global workforce, SSRN, 2022
Estimating a Social Cost of Carbon for Global Energy Consumption, Nature, 2021
Strengthened scientific support for the Endangerment Finding for atmospheric greenhouse gases, Science, 2018
Estimating economic damage from climate change in the United States, Science, 2017
health
-
Mortality Caused by Tropical Cyclones in the United States, Nature, 2024
Simultaneous measurement of health damage from transboundary and domestic air pollution in mixture, NBER, 2025
The Distribution of Environmental Damages, NBER, 2017
Higher temperatures increase suicide rates in the United States and Mexico, Nature Climate Change, 2018
Tropical Cyclones: From the Influence of Climate to Their Socioeconomic Impacts, AGU, 2015
Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict, Science, 2013
Adaptation to Cyclone Risk: Evidence from the Global Cross-Section, Climate Change Economics, 2012
-
Global Health and Economic Impacts of Behavior Change During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2023
Simultaneous measurement of health damage from transboundary and domestic air pollution in mixture, NBER, 2025
Public mobility data enables covid-19 forecasting and management at local and global scales, Scientific Reports, 2021
The effect of large-scale anti-contagion policies on the COVID-19 pandemic, Nature, 2020
-
Climate Change, Conflict, and the Risk of Economic Collapse in Africa, NBER, 2025
New Evidence on the Economics of Climate and Conflict, NBER, 2024
Destructive Behavior, Judgment, and Economic Decision-making under Thermal Stress, NBER, 2020
Higher temperatures increase suicide rates in the United States and Mexico, Nature Climate Change, 2018
Reconciling climate-conflict meta-analyses: reply to Buhaug et al., Climate Change, 2014
Reconciling Temperature-conflict Results in Kenya, CEGA, 2013
Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict, Science, 2013
Civil Conflicts are associated with the global climate, Nature, 2011
development
-
Climate Change, Conflict, and the Risk of Economic Collapse in Africa, NBER, 2025
Impacts of climate change on global agriculture accounting for adaptation, Nature, 2025
Valuing the Global Mortality Consequences of Climate Change Accounting for Adaptation Costs and Benefits, NBER, 2022
Labor disutility in a warmer world: The impact of climate change on the global workforce, SSRN, 2022
Estimating a Social Cost of Carbon for Global Energy Consumption, Nature, 2021
The Distribution of Environmental Damages, NBER, 2017
Estimating global agricultural effects of geoengineering using volcanic eruptions, Nature, 2018
The Marginal Product of Climate, NBER, 2017
Climate and Conflict, NBER, 2014
Geography, Depreciation, and Growth, American Economic Review, 2015
Tropical Economics, American Economic Review, 2015
The Causal Effect of Environmental Catastrophe on Long-Run Economic Growth: Evidence From 6,700 Cyclones, NBER, 2014
Nonlinear permanent migration response to climatic variations but minimal response to disasters, PNAS, 2014
Destruction, Disinvestment, and Death: Economic and Human Losses Following Environmental Disaster, SSRN, 2013
Adaptation to Cyclone Risk: Evidence from the Global Cross-Section, Climate Change Economics, 2012
Temperatures and cyclones strongly associated with economic production in the Caribbean and Central America, PNAS, 2010
-
Climate Change, Conflict, and the Risk of Economic Collapse in Africa, NBER, 2025
New Evidence on the Economics of Climate and Conflict, NBER, 2024
Destructive Behavior, Judgment, and Economic Decision-making under Thermal Stress, NBER, 2020
Potentially Extreme Population Displacement and Concentration in the Tropics Under Non-Extreme Warming, Scientific Reports, 2016
Climate and Conflict, NBER, 2014
Reconciling climate-conflict meta-analyses: reply to Buhaug et al., Climate Change, 2014
Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict, Science, 2013
-
What Can Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning Measure?, NBER, 2025
Using Satellite Imagery and Deep Learning to Evaluate the Impact of Anti-Poverty Programs, NBER, 2021
Accounting for Unobservable Heterogeneity in Cross Section Using Spatial First Differences, NBER, 2018
Potentially Extreme Population Displacement and Concentration in the Tropics Under Non-Extreme Warming, Scientific Reports, 2016
Geography, Depreciation, and Growth, American Economic Review, 2015
-
Climate Change, Conflict, and the Risk of Economic Collapse in Africa, NBER, 2025
Quantifying climate change loss and damage consistent with a social cost of greenhouse gases, NBER, 2023
Simultaneous measurement of health damage from transboundary and domestic air pollution in mixture, NBER, 2025
The Distribution of Environmental Damages, NBER, 2017
Global Non-linear Effect of Temperature on Economic Production, Nature, 2015
Temperatures and cyclones strongly associated with economic production in the Caribbean and Central America, PNAS, 2010
satellite imagery + machine learning
policy
resources for decision-makers
-
Handbook of the Economics of Climate Change, Science Direct, 2024
Fifth National Climate Assessment Chapter 19: Economics, U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2023
Quantifying climate change loss and damage consistent with a social cost of greenhouse gases, NBER, 2023
Estimating a Social Cost of Carbon for Global Energy Consumption, Nature, 2021
Strengthened scientific support for the Endangerment Finding for atmospheric greenhouse gases, Science, 2018
The Distribution of Environmental Damages, NBER, 2017
Estimating global agricultural effects of geoengineering using volcanic eruptions, Nature, 2018
Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus, Columbia University Press, 2015
Adaptation to Cyclone Risk: Evidence from the Global Cross-Section, Climate Change Economics, 2012
-
Empirically valuing natural capital, Science, 2017
-
Are We Adapting to Climate Change?, NBER, 2024
Global Health and Economic Impacts of Behavior Change During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2023
Using Satellite Imagery and Deep Learning to Evaluate the Impact of Anti-Poverty Programs, NBER, 2021
Public mobility data enables covid-19 forecasting and management at local and global scales, Scientific Reports, 2021
-
Fifth National Climate Assessment Chapter 19: Economics, U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2023
Mainstreaming nature in US federal policy, Science, 2024
Harmonized nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin from 1980 to 2019, Scientific Data, 2022
Strengthened scientific support for the Endangerment Finding for atmospheric greenhouse gases, Science, 2018
The Distribution of Environmental Damages, NBER, 2017
The Marginal Product of Climate, NBER, 2017
Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus, Columbia University Press, 2015
All publications
Estimating global impacts to agriculture from climate change accounting for adaptation
Hultgren, A, T Carleton, M Delgado, DR Gergel, M Greenstone, T Houser, S Hsiang, A Jina, RE Kopp, SB Malevich, KE McCusker, T Mayer, I Nath, J Rising, A Rode, J Yuan (forthcoming)
Global Economic Impacts of Climate Change: An Empirical Perspective
S Hsiang, Annual Review of Economics (forthcoming)
A machine-learning pipeline for merging and georeferencing very large archives of historical aerial photographs
Noda, E, LY Huang, T Chong, S Jain, A Madestam, A Tompsett, H Druckenmiller, S Hsiang (forthcoming)
Mortality Caused by Tropical Cyclones in the United States
Young, R, S Hsiang, Nature (2024)
Data anomalies cause unprecedented estimate for the economic commitment of climate change
Bearpark, T, D Hogan, S Hsiang (2024)
New Evidence on the Economics of Climate and Conflict
M Burke, J Ferguson, SM Hsiang, E Miguel, NBER Working Paper 33040 (2024)
Are we adapting to climate change?
Burke, M, MZahid, M Martins, C Callahan, R Lee, T Avirmed, S Heft-Neal, M Kiang, S Hsiang, D Lobell, NBER Working Paper 32985 (2024)
Mainstreaming nature in US federal policy
Tallis, H, EP Fenichel, L Petes, S Hsiang, PS Levin, H Levy, J Lubchenco, Science (2024)
Global Health and Economic Impacts of Behavior Change During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Tseng, J, K Coy, C Ilin, A Ewing, T Chong, S Marks, I Bolliger, N Mejia Gonzalez, K Bell, A Hakim, S Hsiang (2024)
Quantifying climate change loss and damage consistent with a social cost of greenhouse gases
Burke, M, M Zahid, N Diffenbaugh, S M Hsiang, NBER Working Paper 31658 (2023)
Simultaneous measurement of health damage from transboundary and domestic air pollution in mixture
Lee, J, AJ Wilson, S Hsiang (2023)
DSCIM-Coastal v1. 1: an open-source modeling platform for global impacts of sea level rise
Depsky, N, I Bolliger, D Allen, JH Choi, M Delgado, M Greenstone, A Hamidi, T Houser, RE Kopp, S Hsiang, Geoscientific Model Development (2023)
Global high-resolution estimates of the United Nations Human Development Index using satellite imagery and machine-learning
Sherman, L, J Proctor, H Druckenmiller, H Tapia, S Hsiang, NBER Working Paper 31044 (2023)
Valuing the Global Mortality Consequences of Climate Change Accounting for Adaptation Costs and Benefits
Carleton, T, A Jina, M Delgado, M Greenstone, T Houser, S Hsiang, A Hultgren, R Kopp, K McCusker, Kelly, I Nath, J Rising, A Rode, HK Seo, J Simcock, A Viaene, J Yuan, Jiacan, A Zhang, Quarterly Journal
of Economics (2022)
The Welfare Economics of a Data Driven Social Cost of Carbon
Nath, I, KE McCusker, I Bolliger, T Carleton, M Delgado, M Greenstone, T Houser, S Hsiang, A Hultgren, A Jina, RE Kopp, J Rising, A Rode (2022)
Labor disutility in a warmer world: The impact of climate change on the global workforce
Rode, A, RE Baker, T Carleton, A D'Agostino, M Delgado, T Foreman, DR Gergel, M Greenstone, T Houser, S Hsiang, A Hultgren, A Jina, RE Kopp, SB Malevich, KE McCusker, I Nath, M Pecenco, J Rising, J Yuan
(2022)
Harmonized nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin from 1980 to 2018
Krasovich, E, P Lau, J Tseng, J Longmate, K Bell, S Hsiang, Scientific Data (2022)
A Distribution of Human Attention to Moments in Time
Annan-Phan, S, L Biardeau, S Hsiang – Revisions requested (2022)
Estimating a Social Cost of Carbon for Global Energy Consumption
Rode, A, T Carleton, M Delgado, M Greenstone, T Houser, S Hsiang, A Hultgren, A Jina, R Kopp, K McCusker, I Nath, J Rising, J Yuan, Nature (2021)
A Generalizable and Accessible Approach to Machine Learning with Global Satellite Imagery
Rolf, E, J Proctor, T Carleton, I Bolliger, V Shankar, M Ishihara, B Recht, S Hsiang, Nature Communications (2021)
Empirically valuing natural capital
Bell, K, S Sum, J Longmate, J Tseng, S Hsiang (2021)
Using Satellite Imagery and Deep Learning to Evaluate the Impact of Anti-Poverty Programs
Huang, LY, S Hsiang, M Gonzalez-Navarro. arXiv preprint arXiv:2104.11772 (2021).
Public mobility data enables covid-19 forecasting and management at local and global scales
Ilin, C, S Annan-Phan, XH Tai, S Mehra, S Hsiang, J Blumenstock, Scientific Reports (2021)
Combined modeling of US fluvial, pluvial, and coastal flood hazard under current and future climates
Bates, P.D., Quinn, N., Sampson, C., Smith, A., Wing, O., Sosa, J., Savage, J., Olcese, G., Neal, J., Schumann, G. and Giustarini, L., Water Resources Research (2021)
The effect of large-scale anti-contagion policies on the COVID-19 pandemic
S Hsiang, D Allen, S Annan-Phan, K Bell, I Bolliger, T Chong, H Druckenmiller, LY Huang, A Hultgren, E Krasovich, P Lau, J Lee, E Rolf, J Tseng and T Wu, Nature (2020)
Destructive Behavior, Judgment, and Economic Decision-making under Thermal Stress
Almås, Auffhammer, Bold, Bolliger, Dembo, Hsiang, Kitamura, Miguel, Pickmans, NBER Working Paper 25785 (2019)
Strengthened scientific support for the Endangerment Finding for atmospheric greenhouse gases
Duffy, Field, Diffenbaugh, Doney, Dutton, Goodman, Heinzerling, Hsiang, Lobell, Mickley, Myers, Natali, Parmesan, Tierney, Williams, Science (2019)
The Distribution of Environmental Damages
S Hsiang, P Oliva, WR Walker, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy (2019)
Spatial Correlation, Trade, and Inequality: Evidence from the Global Climate
Dingel, Meng, and Hsiang, NBER Working Paper 25447 (2019)
An Economist's Guide to Climate Change Science
Hsiang & Kopp, Journal of Economic Perspectives (2018)
Accounting for Unobservable Heterogeneity in Cross Section Using Spatial First Differences
Druckenmiller & Hsiang, NBER Working Paper 25177 (2018)
Estimating global agricultural effects of geoengineering using volcanic eruptions
Proctor, Hsiang, Burney, Burke, Schlenker, Nature (2018)
Higher temperatures increase suicide rates in the United States and Mexico
Burke, Gonzalez, Baylis, Heft-Neal, Baysan, Basu, Hsiang, Nature Climate Change (2018)
N Sekar, W Clark, A Dobson, P Coelho, P Hannam, R Hepworth, S Hsiang, P Kahumbu, P Lee, K Lindsay, C Lopes Pereira, S Wasser, K Nowak, Science (2018)
Hsiang, S & M Burke, Nature (2018)
Graff Zivin, J. S.M. Hsiang, M. Neidell, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (2018)
Ground Control to Major Tom: the importance of field surveys in remotely sensed data analysis
I Bolliger, T Carleton, S Hsiang, J Kadish, J Proctor, B Recht, E Rolf, V Shankar, Bloomberg Data for Good Exchange (2017)
Estimating economic damage from climate change in the United States
Hsiang, Kopp, Jina, Rising, Delgado, Mohan, Rasmussen, Muir-Wood, Wilson, Oppenheimer, Larsen, Houser, Science (2017)
The Marginal Product of Climate
Deryugina, T., & S. Hsiang, NBER Working Paper 24072 (2016)
Social and economic impacts of climate
T.A. Carleton & S.M. Hsiang, Science (2016)
S. Hsiang & N. Sekar, NBER working paper 22314 (2016)
S.M. Hsiang & A.H. Sobel, Scientific Reports (2016)
Conflict in a changing climate
Carleton, T.A., S.M. Hsiang, M. Burke, European Physical Journal Special Topics (2016).
Hsiang, S.M., Annual review of Resource Economics (2016)
Opportunities for advances in climate change economics
Burke, M., M. Craxton, C. D. Kolstad, C. Onda, H. Allcott, E. Baker, L. Barrage, R. Carson, K. Gillingham, J. Graf-Zivin, M. Greenstone, S. Hallegatte, W.M. Hanemann, G. Heal, S. Hsiang, B. Jones, D. L. Kelly, R. Kopp, M. Kotchen, R. Mendelsohn, K. Meng, G. Metcalf, J. Moreno-Cruz, R. Pindyck, S. Rose, I. Rudik, J. Stock, R. S. J. Tol, Science (2016)
Tropical Cyclones: From the Influence of Climate to Their Socioeconomic Impacts
Camargo, S, SM Hsiang (2015) in Extreme Events: Observations, Modeling, and Economics Ed. Chavez, Ghil, & Urrutia-Fucugauchi
Global Non-linear Effect of Temperature on Economic Production
Burke, M, SM Hsiang, E Miguel, Nature (2015)
Economic Risks of Climate Change: An American Prospectus
Houser, T., R. Kopp, S.M. Hsiang, M. Delgado, A.S. Jina, K. Larsen, M. Mastrandrea, S. Mohan, R. Muir-Wood, DJ Rasmussen, J. Rising, P. Wilson, Columbia University Press (2015)
Burke, M, SM Hsiang, E Miguel, Annual Review of Economics (2015)
Geography, Depreciation, and Growth
Hsiang, SM, AS Jina, American Economic Review (2015)
Hsiang, SM, KC Meng, American Economic Review (2015)
Hsiang, S.M., A.S. Jina, NBER Working Paper 20352 (2014)
Does the Environment Still Matter? Daily Temperature and Income in the United States
Deryugina, T., S.M. Hsiang, NBER Working Paper No. 20750 (2014)
Reconciling climate-conflict meta-analyses: reply to Buhaug et al.
Burke, M., S.M. Hsiang, E. Miguel, Climatic Change (2014)
Nonlinear permanent migration response to climatic variations but minimal response to disasters
Bohra-Mishra, P, M Oppenheimer, SM Hsiang, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2014)
Cane, M.A., E. Miguel, M. Burke, S.M. Hsiang, D.B. Lobell, K.C. Meng, S. Satyanath, Nature Climate Change (2014)
Climate, Conflict and Social Stability: What does the evidence say?
Hsiang, SM, M Burke, Climatic Change (2014)
Reconciling Temperature-conflict Results in Kenya
Hsiang, S.M., M. Burke, E. Miguel, CEGA Working Paper 032 (2013)
Reconciling disagreement over climate–conflict results in Africa
Hsiang, SM, KC Meng, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2014)
Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict
Hsiang, SM, M Burke, E Miguel, Science (2013)
Using Weather Data and Climate Model Output in Economic Analyses of Climate Change
Auffhammer, M, SM Hsiang, W Schlenker, AH Sobel, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy (2013)
Destruction, Disinvestment, and Death: Economic and Human Losses Following Environmental Disaster
Anttila-Hughes JK, SM Hsiang, SSRN Working Paper (2012)
Hsiang, SM (2012)
Adaptation to Cyclone Risk: Evidence from the Global Cross-Section
Hsiang, S.M., D. Narita, Climate Change Economics (2012)
Civil Conflicts are associated with the global climate
Hsiang, SM, KC Meng, MA Cane, Nature (2011)
Hsiang, SM, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2010)