✋ Hi!

I am Max, and I am a first-year Economics PhD student at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna).

📝 Research

Vashold, L., Pirich, G., Heinze, M., & Kuschnig, N. (2024). Mines-Rivers-Yields: Downstream Mining Impacts on Agriculture in Africa. Vienna University of Economics and Business. Department of Economics Working Paper Series No. 368. https://doi.org/10.57938/7598a00e-3d24-4691-823e-aeb76032ae44 · 💻 View Slides · 📝 View Paper

Abstract: Mining operations in Africa are expanding rapidly, creating negative externalities that remain poorly understood. In this paper, we provide causal evidence for the impact of water pollution from mines on vegetation and agriculture across the continent. We exploit a natural experiment, where mines cause a discontinuity in water pollution along river networks, comparing vegetation health in upstream and downstream locations. We find that mines significantly reduce peak vegetation indices downstream by 1.3–1.5%, and impair the productivity of over 74,000 km² of croplands. Impacts may reach farther downstream, and are particularly strong in fertile regions and areas where gold mining predominates. Our findings highlight substantial externalities of mining and an urgent need for enhanced regulation and oversight to mitigate and monitor them.

👨‍🏫 Teaching

Winter Semester 2024/25 · Macroeconomics (B.Sc. level, as co-lecturer) · View Syllabus

Summer Semester 2025 · Econometrics I (B.Sc. level, as lecturer) · View Syllabus · 💻 View Slides

📦 Miscellaneous

📐 Interactive Charts for Teaching Introductory Macroeconomics · Charts of introductory Macro models (based on the textbook by Blanchard) with interactive sliders.

💻 Beamer Template [External Link] · The (messy) LaTeX Beamer template I use.

🥗 This Week’s Scraped Lunch Menus · Tables containing current lunch options from different WU campus places.