Professor Nishith Prakash co-organized an international conference in Patna, India, held on May 2, 2026, bringing together researchers and senior government officials to address urban environmental challenges in Bihar.
“From Evidence to Action: Environmental Sustainability and Urban Futures in Patna” was co-organized by Northeastern’s Global Action for Policy Initiative (founded by Professor Nishith Prakash and Professor Silvia Prina), the London School of Economics, and the Asian Development Research Institute.
The conference drew participation from several of Bihar’s most senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, the country’s elite permanent civil service, including the Additional Chief Secretary of Bihar’s General Administration Department and the Chairman of the Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Research highlights included two studies with direct policy implications:
- Professor Prakash’s randomized controlled trial with 1,545 child-parent pairs found that children are more effective agents of household environmental behavior change than adults, with implications for school curriculum policy in Bihar.
- An LSE study across 10,000 Patna households found that waste-segregation training delivers benefits five times its cost, among the most cost-effective urban environmental interventions documented in India.
The conference received coverage in the Times of India, Hindustan, and Dainik Jagran, and produced a policy brief now being shared with Bihar government stakeholders.
