Jose-Miguel Albala-Bertrand

Jose-Miguel is an international expert in the economics and  political economy of disasters, who has participated in high-powered projects with international organizations, especially the World Bank. He is currently writing a book, commissioned by Routledge, in the area of disaster economics. Its provisional titled is Disasters, Networks and Development. He works on development economics with a focus on macroeconomic theory and policy in three main areas of concern. Firstly, naturally/socially-induced disasters via empirical, analytical and policy-orientated approaches. His main conclusion is that as a rule "disasters are a problem OF development, but not a problem FOR development". Secondly, he has done work on structural change, especially comparing the "Washington Consensus Model" with the "Asian Model". And thirdly, he has also worked on the analysis of infrastructures, proposing a novel two-gap model to assess the impact of infrastructural capital on growth. He has also proposed an optimally consistent method, via linear programming, to calculate a benchmark for the capital stock, which is both accurate and significantly cost-saving in finance and time, especially when data is scarce.  It has now been applied in many countries, especially China.

Selected publications

• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (Forthcoming). "Economic Localization, Societal Networking and Functionality". GFDRR (The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction & Recovery)-EDRR (Economics of Disaster Risk Reduction) World Bank Publication., 65 page.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (Forthcoming). "Endogenous Reaction, Public Response in a Systemic Context", GFDRR-EDRR World Bank Publication, 67 pages.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (2010).  "A Contribution to Estimate a Benchmark Capital Stock". International Review of Applied Economics, Vol. 24, No.6, pp.633-64.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M., (2007). "Relative Capital Shortage and Potential Output Constraint: a Gap Approach".  International Review of Applied Economics, Vol. 21, No.2, pp.321-352.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. & Mamatzakis, M. (2007). "The Impact of Disaggregated Infrastructure Capital on the Productivity of the Chilean Economy". The Manchester School, Vol.75, No.2, pp. 258-273.
• Albala-Bertrand J.M., (2006). "Structural Change in Output and Industrial Interdependence", Cepal Review, No. 88, pp. 159-172.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M., (2006). Globalization and Localization: An Economic Approach. In R. Dynes, H, Rodriguez & E. Quaranteli, (Eds), Handbook of Disaster Research, New York: Springer, pp. 147-167.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (2004). Natural disaster situations and growth: a macroeconomic model for sudden disaster impacts. In H. Kunreuther &, Rose, A. Critical Writing in Economics Series: The economics of natural hazards (Volume II, pp. 453-470). Cheltenham: Elgar.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. & Mamatzakis, M. (2004). "The impact of infrastructures on the productivity of the Chilean economy". Review of Development Economics, 2, 266-78.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (2003). Urban Disasters and Globalization. In A. Kreimer, M. Arnold & A. Carlin. Building safer cities. The future of disaster risk (pp. 57-75). Washington DC: The World Bank, Disaster Management Facility.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. and Mamatzakis, M. (2001). “Is Public Infrastructure Productive? Evidence from Chile”. Applied Economic Letters, 8, pp.195-198.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (2000). "Complex emergencies versus natural disasters. an analytical comparison of causes and effects". Oxford Development Studies, 2, 187-204.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (2000). "Responses to complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters. An analytical comparison". Third World Quarterly, 2, 215-227.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M. (1999). "Industrial Interdependence Change in Chile: 1960-1990. A Comparison with Taiwan and South Korea". International Review of Applied Economics, No. 13, 161-191.
• Albala-Bertrand, J.M.(1993). The political economy of large natural disasters. Oxford: Clarendon Press.