Mark Buntaine

Mark Buntaine is associate professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research investigates how improved governance can support the implementation of environmental policies in low- and middle-income countries. In the past several years, he led experimental projects that tested whether citizen participation in policy implementation and non-governmental monitoring of public sector performance improved solid waste services, reduced air and water pollution, and strengthened forest management. He is currently working on randomized trials in Uganda and Malawi that investigate what group-level incentives are most effective at reducing urban waste burning and land degradation. He collaborates with and advises governmental and non-governmental partners on the effective implementation of environmental policies.