Dr Cheng Wen

Profile

I am an environmental and energy economist with expertise in non-market valuation techniques (Contingent Valuation and Choice Experiment) using survey data. I finished my undergraduate and Master's study in Environmental Science in Wuhan University, China. My PhD study focused on economic valuation in the conservation mechanism of Payment for Ecosystem Service for the middle route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China. I was once invited to attend the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Remuneration of Positive Externalities Payments for Environmental Service (2013) at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome. After completing my PhD study, I have worked in multiple inter-disciplinary research projects that involve case studies in multiple countries, including Costs and benefits of sustainable soil fertility management in Western Kenya (funded by The Economics of Land Degradation Initiative), Mapping Climate Services and Information Needs in China (funded by Newton Fund-Met Office), Addressing the Valuation of Energy & Nature Together (funded by the UK Energy Research Centre), Creating Resilient Sustainable Microgrids through Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (EPSRC), Bioenergy, Fertiliser and Clean Water from Invasive Aquatic Macrophytes (BBSRC). My current research focuses on improving energy access in developing countries (e.g. Uganda, Tanzania, India and Indonesia) by affordable, reliable and sustanianble technology such as mini-grids and biogas.

Research interests

Socioeconomics of mini-grids in developing countries

In the EPSRC-funded project of Creating Resilient Sustainable Microgrids through Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems, I designed and organised socioeconomic surveys in Indoneisa, Uganda and Tanzania to estimate houshold willingness to pay for improving the quality of electriicty access based on an adapted version of the World Bank’s Multi-tier Framework for assessing energy access.

https://cera.leeds.ac.uk/cresum-hyres/

Adoption of biogas technology in developing countries

In the BBSRC-funded project of Bioenergy, Fertiliser and Clean Water from Invasive Aquatic Macrophytes, I designed and organised household surveys in India and Uganda to understand rural househoolds’ willingness to adopt biogas technology to utlisiing the invasive aquatic plant of water hyacinth for multiple benefits. 

https://cera.leeds.ac.uk/befwam-navigation/befwam/

Public Attitudes towards the Visual Impact of Wind Turbines

In the project of Addressing the Valuation of Energy & Nature Together (funded by the UK Energy Research Centre), I applied a photo-based online survey to investigate public attitudes towards the impact of onshore wind turbines on the scenic value of various landscape in the UK.

https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FM019705%2F1#/tabOverview

Qualifications

• PhD, Environmental Economics, University of Leeds
• MSc, Environmental Science, Wuhan University, China
• BSc, Environmental Science, Wuhan University, China