Michael WardView profile
Professor
Michael Ward is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Monash University, with a joint appointment at the Monash Sustainability Institute. His research focuses on applied microeconomics and econometrics, particularly addressing environmental and resource sustainability challenges such as water management, pollution regulation, land use policies, and biodiversity conservation. He joined Monash in 2012 after faculty positions at ANU and UC Berkeley. Ward has led multiple research projects, including the RACE for 2030 CRC (Cooperative Research Centre) and adaptive urban water management initiatives. He has been recognized with the 2008 Best Economics Paper Award from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association for his work on food safety and nutrition. His research outputs span 23 peer-reviewed articles, including influential studies on regulatory compliance mechanisms, water pricing strategies, and biodiversity conservation. Ward collaborates internationally and contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and sustainable cities. Projects : RACE for 2030 CRC (2020–2031), Adaptive Urban Water Management (2012–2017), and household electricity use research (2022). Awards : 2008 Best Economics Paper Award for work on food safety and nutrition. Labs/Teams : Monash Sustainability Institute, interdisciplinary collaborations on energy and environmental policy.











