15.07.2026 - SDGnexus Network Seminar Series - Watershed Governance, Deforestation, and Development: The Hydrological and Economic Consequences of Forest Loss in Tropical Basins
- https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/fbz/zentren/zeu/sdgnexus/news/events/sdgnnssjorge-montero
- 15.07.2026 - SDGnexus Network Seminar Series - Watershed Governance, Deforestation, and Development: The Hydrological and Economic Consequences of Forest Loss in Tropical Basins
- 2026-07-15T13:00:00+02:00
- 2026-07-15T14:30:00+02:00
Wann
15.07.2026 von 13:00 bis 14:30 (Europe/Berlin / UTC200)
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Title: Watershed Governance, Deforestation, and Development: The Hydrological and Economic Consequences of Forest Loss in Tropical Basins
Abstract:
Jorge Montero investigates the downstream consequences of upstream deforestation using a novel grid- and municipality-level panel dataset for Colombia covering the period 2012–2020. Combining econometric methods with machine learning techniques, Jorge analyze whether forest loss in upstream areas is associated with hydrological extremes and downstream socioeconomic outcomes. Results indicate that upstream deforestation is more strongly related to flood occurrence than to average hydrological conditions, consistent with the hypothesis that forest loss reduces watershed buffering capacity. He also finds suggestive evidence linking these hydrological impacts to higher disaster incidence, agricultural losses, and weaker local economic outcomes. The magnitude of these relationships appears to depend on local geophysical characteristics. These findings highlight the potential importance of spatial environmental externalities and underscore the need for policies that consider watershed-scale interactions rather than administrative boundaries alone.
Jorge Montero investigates the downstream consequences of upstream deforestation using a novel grid- and municipality-level panel dataset for Colombia covering the period 2012–2020. Combining econometric methods with machine learning techniques, Jorge analyze whether forest loss in upstream areas is associated with hydrological extremes and downstream socioeconomic outcomes. Results indicate that upstream deforestation is more strongly related to flood occurrence than to average hydrological conditions, consistent with the hypothesis that forest loss reduces watershed buffering capacity. He also finds suggestive evidence linking these hydrological impacts to higher disaster incidence, agricultural losses, and weaker local economic outcomes. The magnitude of these relationships appears to depend on local geophysical characteristics. These findings highlight the potential importance of spatial environmental externalities and underscore the need for policies that consider watershed-scale interactions rather than administrative boundaries alone.
Background:
Jorge Montero is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Economics at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and a Research Associate with the SDG Nexus Network at Justus Liebig University Giessen. His research lies at the intersection of environmental and resource economics, political economy, and applied econometrics.
Jorge Montero is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Economics at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia and a Research Associate with the SDG Nexus Network at Justus Liebig University Giessen. His research lies at the intersection of environmental and resource economics, political economy, and applied econometrics.
His broader research agenda focuses on the economics of sustainable development, particularly on how institutions, conservation incentives, and environmental policies shape the management of common-pool resources. He is interested in topics including environmental governance, ecosystem services, water resource management, climate adaptation, and the role of protected areas in biodiversity conservation.
Methodologically, he combines applied econometrics, causal inference, spatial analysis, machine learning, and geospatial data science to address policy-relevant questions. By leveraging spatially explicit datasets and remote sensing technologies, his research seeks to understand how land-use change and governance interventions affect both environmental outcomes and human well-being across connected landscapes.