Matthew Agarwala

Matthew Agarwala is an environmental economist specializing in water economics and natural capital accounting, currently affiliated with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Previously, he served as a Senior Research Associate at the University of East Anglia's Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE) and completed his research studies at the London School of Economics' Grantham Research Institute.

His educational background includes Summa Cum Laude honors in Economics and Political Science along with a Master's in Economic Policy from the University of Toronto, where he studied under Dr. Atif Kubursi. Agarwala's research focuses on the economic valuation of water resources, virtual water trade, gender-development-water nexus, green accounting frameworks, and transboundary water governance. He has pioneered methodological approaches for integrating ecosystem services into national accounting systems and policy decision-making processes.

Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent emphasis on practical applications of environmental economics, particularly through UK National Ecosystem Assessment initiatives and innovative payment-for-ecosystem-services schemes. His work demonstrates evolving focus from theoretical valuation frameworks toward implementation challenges in policy contexts, with increasing attention to well-being metrics and climate-water interlinkages since 2015.

Agarwala has secured research funding through collaborations with water utilities like South West Water, notably implementing the Cornwall Upstream Thinking Initiative - a groundbreaking auction-based payment scheme involving 150 farmers that reduced implementation timelines from years to months. His policy work directly informs UK government agencies including Defra and the Forestry Commission.

He actively contributes to interdisciplinary research teams including the UK NEA Follow-On program (Work Package 3 on economic valuation) and the CSERGE consortium at UEA, frequently collaborating with leading scholars such as Giles Atkinson and Brett Day on natural capital accounting frameworks and ecosystem service valuation methodologies.