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Veronica Herrera is an Associate Professor at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA. Her research explores the social, economic, and political dimensions of natural resource management in developing countries, with a particular focus on Latin American cities. Herrera investigates how urban communities navigate weak state institutions to access essential environmental goods and services, including drinking water and flood protection, and the adverse effects of environmental degradation and pollution. She has published extensively on issues related to water and sanitation services, river remediation, flooding, wetlands governance, and plastics policy, employing social science theories from political science, urban planning, sociology, and geography. Her forthcoming book, 'Slow Harms Citizen Action: Environmental Degradation Policy Change Latin American Cities', examines the rise of environmental justice movements addressing contaminated river basins in Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. Her previous award-winning book, 'Water Politics: Clientelism Reform Urban Mexico', analyzes the connection between water scarcity in Mexican cities and the political dynamics of water service provision. Additionally, Herrera is actively involved in environmental research in California and serves on the board of LA Waterkeepers, advocating for the remediation of the LA River and influencing state plastics policy.
Department of Economics admits primarily for the PhD program.