DOCSLIB.ORG

Essays on Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa Ariane Manuela Amin

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Essays on Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa Ariane Manuela Amin Essays on development and biodiversity conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa Ariane Manuela Amin To cite this version: Ariane Manuela Amin. Essays on development and biodiversity conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Economics and Finance. Université d’Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I, 2014. English. NNT : 2014CLF10453. tel-01168579 HAL Id: tel-01168579 https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01168579 Submitted on 26 Jun 2015 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Université D’auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand 1 Ecole D’Economie Ecole Doctorale Des Sciences Economiques, Juridiques et de Gestion Centre D’Etudes et de Recherches sur le Développement International (CERDI) ESSAYS ON DEVELOPPEMENT AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Thèse Nouveau Régime Présentée et soutenue publiquement le 3 Décembre 2014 Pour l’obtention du titre de Docteur ès Sciences Economiques Par Ariane Manuela Amin Sous la direction de Mme la Professeure Pascale Combes-Motel Membres du jury Pascale Combes Motel Professeur, Université d’Auvergne, CERDI Directrice Jean-Michel Salles Directeur de recherche, CNRS, LAMETA – Université de Montpellier 1 Rapporteur Patrick Point Directeur de recherche GREThA – Université de Bordeaux Rapporteur Inza Koné Professeur, Université d’Abidjan, CSRS (Côte d’Ivoire) Suffragant Sonia Schwartz Professeur, Université d’Auvergne, CERDI Présidente L’université d’Auvergne n’entend donner aucune approbation ou improbation aux opinions émises dans cette thèse. Ces opinions doivent être considérées comme propres à leur auteur. A Célestin et Stéphane iv Remerciements Mes remerciements vont tout d’abord à Bénianh International, ONG ivoirienne de promotion de l’excellence, qui en finançant de façon bénévole mon Master, m’a ouvert la voie pour cette thèse. Ensuite à Modeste Kinane, pour son rôle déterminant dans mon engagement dans ce projet de thèse et à Mr Aka Kouamé, directeur de l’Institut Universitaire d’Abidjan pour son soutien financier. Je remercie le Pr Pascale Combes Motel pour m’avoir fait confiance en acceptant de m’encadrer pour cette thèse. Ces conseils et relectures expliquent une part importante de la qualité de ce travail. Je voudrais par la même occasion témoigner ma gratitude à l’égard des enseignants et du personnel administratif du CERDI, avec une pensée particulière pour Annie Cuer. Ma profonde reconnaissance au Pr Inza Koné, un de mes coauteurs, par le biais de qui j’ai intégré le Centre Suisse de Recherche Scientifique (CSRS) à Abidjan qui m’a accueilli pour mes études de terrain en Côte d’Ivoire. Ma reconnaissance va également au Pr Bonfoh Bassirou, Directeur du CSRS ainsi qu’à l’ensemble du personnel administratif et l’équipe de recherche du Département Biodiversité et sécurité alimentaire (DBSA) qui ont facilité et pris une part active aux enquêtes. Un grand merci également aux autorités administratives et aux différents hôtes dans les villages qui ont accueilli nos équipes de recherche au cours des enquêtes. J’ai une pensée particulière pour mes autres coauteurs, Johanna Choumert, Julie Zähringer, Gudrun Schwilch, qui, de par leur collaboration et nos échanges ont apporté beaucoup à mes travaux de recherche. Une part non négligeable de l’accomplissement de ce travail, est à mettre au compte des heures de détente et d’échanges en dehors de la recherche. J’ai une pensée particulière pour mes amis tant en Côte d’Ivoire, qu’en France. Et plus particulièrement mes très chers amis Lydie, Sandra, Ghislaine, et Serge-Armand, mes collègues cerdiens, la grande famille des doctorants cerdiens, mes amis du lycée scientifique de Yamoussoukro, mes amis burkinabés rencontrés à Clermont-Ferrand, mes amis des associations africaines d’Auvergne et mes amis de l’association des ivoiriens en Auvergne. A ma famille qui a toujours cru en moi, et grâce aux prières de qui j’en suis arrivé là. Enfin, à Paul-David mon fils, qui a vu sacrifier la présence maternelle au profit de cette thèse et dont le soutien est pourtant indéfectible. v Re sume La présente thèse est composée d’un ensemble de travaux de recherche en économie appliquée qui s’inscrivent dans le champ contemporain de l’économie de la biodiversité. La thèse s’intéresse spécifiquement aux liens entre développement économique, bien-être local et conservation de la biodiversité avec comme zone d’étude l’Afrique subsaharienne. Un chapitre introductif présente les questions de recherche débattues dans cette thèse et situe notre contribution dans la littérature. Le reste de la thèse est composé de deux parties regroupées en études macroéconomiques et en études de terrain. La partie 1 (composé du chapitre 2 et du chapitre 3) aborde le lien biodiversité-développement sous un angle macroéconomique en considérant les interactions spatiales entre pays. Le chapitre 2 examine l’impact du développement en Afrique Subsaharienne sur la biodiversité mesuré à partir d’indicateurs récents sur les espèces menacés. Le chapitre 3 s’intéresse aux mécanismes qui soutiennent les politiques publiques de conservation en Afrique Subsaharienne et teste l’effet du tourisme, de l’aide environnementale et des effets transfrontaliers sur l’effort de conservation. La partie 2 (composé du chapitre 4 et du chapitre 5) présente deux études de cas en Côte d’Ivoire. Le chapitre 4 évalue monétairement les coûts et les bénéfices de la conservation pour les populations locales. Le chapitre 5 examine les préférences des populations pour la conservation et identifie les facteurs clés qui déterminent ces préférences locales. Le chapitre 6 fait une synthèse des résultats en tire les implications en termes de recommandations de politiques et présente de potentielles extensions de la thèse. Abstract This thesis is composed of a set of research in applied economics that enroll in the contemporary field of economics of biodiversity. The thesis focuses specifically on the links between economic development, local welfare and biodiversity conservation in sub-Saharan Africa region. An introductory chapter presents the subject of the thesis as well as the research field and situates our contribution. The rest of the thesis is composed of two parts divided into macroeconomic studies and case studies. Part 1 (composed of chapter 2 and chapter 3) addresses the link biodiversity and development under a macroeconomic perspective by taking into account spatial interactions between countries. In chapter 2, we examine the impact of development in sub-Saharan Africa on biodiversity using recent indicators on threatened species. In chapter 3, we focus on the mechanisms that support public conservation policies in Sub-Saharan Africa and tested the effect of tourism, environmental aid and spillover effects on conservation effort. Part 2 (composed of chapter 4 and chapter 5) presents two case studies in Ivory Coast. Chapter 4 presents a cost benefit analysis using contingent valuation and market price method. It evaluates the costs and benefits of conservation for local populations. In chapter 5 we examine people's preferences for conservation and identify key factors that determine local preferences. In the last chapter we draw implications of results and present potential extensions of this thesis. vi Contents Remerciements ....................................................................................................................................... iv Résumé ..................................................................................................................................................... v Abstract .................................................................................................................................................... v I. Introduction Générale ..................................................................................................................... 3 1. Objectifs de la thèse et questions de recherche ......................................................................... 8 2. Contributions de la thèse .......................................................................................................... 10 Focus sur l’Afrique subsaharienne comme contribution de la thèse ........................................ 10 Interactions spatiales : contribution méthodologique de la thèse ........................................... 11 Etudes de cas sur la Côte d’Ivoire : contribution en économie appliquée de la thèse ............. 11 II. Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Spatial Analysis ............... 22 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 23 2. Assessing impact of economic development on biodiversity loss: previous findings and methodological issues ....................................................................................................................... 25 2.1 On the choice of biodiversity indicator ............................................................................. 25 2.2 On the shape of the biodiversity-development
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Human Ecology Review
    HUMAN ECOLOGY REVIEW Volume 22, Number 1, 2015 RESEARCH AND THEORY IN HUMAN ECOLOGY Introduction: Progress in Structural Human Ecology 3 Thomas Dietz and Andrew K. Jorgenson Metatheorizing Structural Human Ecology at the Dawn of the Third Millennium 13 Thomas J. Burns and Thomas K. Rudel Animals, Capital and Sustainability 35 Thomas Dietz and Richard York How Does Information Communication Technology Affect Energy Use? 55 Stefano B. Longo and Richard York Environmental Sustainability: The Ecological Footprint in West Africa 73 Sandra T. Marquart-Pyatt Income Inequality and Residential Carbon Emissions in the United States: A Preliminary Analysis 93 Andrew K. Jorgenson, Juliet B. Schor, Xiaorui Huang and Jared Fitzgerald Urbanization, Slums, and the Carbon Intensity of Well-being: Implications for Sustainable Development 107 Jennifer E. Givens Water, Sanitation, and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-national Analysis of Maternal and Neo-natal Mortality 129 Jamie M. Sommer, John M. Shandra, Michael Restivo and Carolyn Coburn Contributors to this Issue 153 Research and Theory in Human Ecology 1 Introduction: Progress in Structural Human Ecology Thomas Dietz1 Environmental Science and Policy Program, Department of Sociology and Animal Studies Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States Andrew K. Jorgenson Department of Sociology, Environmental Studies Program, Boston College, Boston, United States Abstract Structural human ecology is a vibrant area of theoretically grounded research that examines the interplay between structure and agency in human– environment interactions. This special issue consists of papers that highlight recent advances in the tradition. Here, the guest co-editors provide a short background discussion of structural human ecology, and offer brief summaries of the papers included in the collection.
    [Show full text]
  • NATURE, SOCIOLOGY, and the FRANKFURT SCHOOL by Ryan
    NATURE, SOCIOLOGY, AND THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL By Ryan Gunderson A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sociology – Doctor of Philosophy 2014 ABSTRACT NATURE, SOCIOLOGY, AND THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL By Ryan Gunderson Through a systematic analysis of the works of Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, and Erich Fromm using historical methods, I document how early critical theory can conceptually and theoretically inform sociological examinations of human-nature relations. Currently, the first-generation Frankfurt School’s work is largely absent from and criticized in environmental sociology. I address this gap in the literature through a series of articles. One line of analysis establishes how the theories of Horkheimer, Adorno, and Marcuse are applicable to central topics and debates in environmental sociology. A second line of analysis examines how the Frankfurt School’s explanatory and normative theories of human- animal relations can inform sociological animal studies. The third line examines the place of nature in Fromm’s social psychology and sociology, focusing on his personality theory’s notion of “biophilia.” Dedicated to 바다. See you soon. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe my dissertation committee immense gratitude for offering persistent intellectual and emotional support. Linda Kalof overflows with kindness and her gentle presence continually put my mind at ease. It was an honor to be the mentee of a distinguished scholar foundational to the formation of animal studies. Tom Dietz is the most cheerful person I have ever met and, as the first environmental sociologist to integrate ideas from critical theory with a bottomless knowledge of the environmental social sciences, his insights have been invaluable.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis? Or Pollution Haven Hypothesis? a Comparison of the Two
    1 Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis? or Pollution Haven Hypothesis? A Comparison of the Two With the world becoming a global economy and global trade necessary, the concern for environmental quality has increased. There are an increasing amount of empirical studies devoted to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) theory, to determine the relationship between a country’s income and its pollution levels. The EKC theory basically states that initially as a country’s income increases its pollution increases, but at a certain level of income its pollution levels will start to decrease. The existence of the EKC hypothesis that has been shown through empirical studies raises one main question. Should the evidence supporting the existence of the EKC be used to set policy measures? Or, does it just show a relationship that should have no impact on policy decisions? One explanation for the existence of the EKC is the pollution haven hypothesis. It basically states that when countries start to import more goods the industries they used to produce these goods have moved to other countries taking the pollution created by them to those countries. I will first determine if the EKC hypothesis holds true for CO2 emissions related to income in a cross sectional data set for 156 countries. Second, I will narrow the field to two countries, the U. S. and Mexico, to see if evidence can be found to support the EKC hypothesis. I will use CO2 emissions related to GNP that is matched for each of the countries. Comparing each of the data sets for each of these two countries may offer insight to the pollution haven hypothesis as well.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Kuznets Curve Revisit: Role of Economic Diversity in Environmental Degradation
    Environmental Kuznets Curve Revisit: Role of Economic Diversity in Environmental Degradation Raza Ghazal University of Kurdistan Mohammad Sharif Karimi ( [email protected] ) Razi University of Kermanshah: Razi University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5967-6756 Bakhtiar Javaheri University of Kurdistan Research Keywords: Economic complexity, Structural change, Environmental Kuznets curve, Environmental degradation Posted Date: February 22nd, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-213429/v1 License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Read Full License 1 Environmental Kuznets Curve Revisit: Role of Economic Diversity in Environmental 2 Degradation 3 Raza Ghazal1 4 Mohammad Sharif Karimi2 5 Bakhtiar Javaheri3 6 7 8 Abstract 9 Background: Unlike the classical view, a new path of economic growth and development among 10 the emerging and developing nations seems to have distinct impact on environment. Customary 11 patterns of production and consumption have undergone significant changes and the new “growth 12 with non-smoke-staks” has put the developing economies on a path that can change Environmental 13 Kuznets Curve (EKC) fundamentally. With this view, the current study attempts to examine how 14 these growth patterns among developing world have impacted the degradation of environment. We 15 argue that including income per capita and share of manufacturing would not capture the full 16 growth dynamic of developing and emerging countries and therefore it masks the real impacts on 17 environmental degradation. To this end, we introduce the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) to 18 the model to reflect the full impacts of new growth approaches on CO2 emission levels by using a 19 panel data analyses of 100 emerging and developing countries over 1963-2018 period.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Metabolism, Ecologically Unequal Exchange and Resource Extraction Conflicts in Latin America. Analytical Framework and Case Studies
    Social metabolism, ecologically unequal exchange and resource extraction conflicts in Latin America. Analytical Framework and Case Studies Analytical Framework Report D.WP7 1 Deliverable WP7 1 – Analytical Framework Report Project Nº: 266710 Funding Scheme: Collaborative Project Objective: FP7‐SSH‐2010‐3 Status: Final version, 27/01/2012 Due date of delivery: 29/01/2012 Work Package: WP7 – Resource Extraction Conflicts Compared Leading Author: Mariana Walter and Joan Martinez Alier Co‐author(s): FP7 –SSH – 2010 – 3 GA 266710 Social metabolism, ecologically unequal exchange and resource extraction conflicts in Latin America. Analytical Framework and Case Studies Analytical Framework Report D.WP7.1 Table of Contents Summary & Key Words ........................................................................................................................... 3 Analytical Framework .............................................................................................................................. 4 Social Metabolism: A Biophysical Approach to the Economy ............................................................. 4 Material Flow Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 6 Ecologically Unequal Exchange ........................................................................................................... 7 Ecological distributive conflicts ..........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Interdependence of Biodiversity and Development Under Global Change
    Secretariat of the CBD Technical Series No. 54 Convention on Biological Diversity 54 Interdependence of Biodiversity and Development Under Global Change CBD Technical Series No. 54 Interdependence of Biodiversity and Development Under Global Change Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity ISBN: 92-9225-296-8 Copyright © 2010, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity concern- ing the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views reported in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This publication may be reproduced for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holders, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. The Secretariat of the Convention would appreciate receiving a copy of any publications that use this document as a source. Citation Ibisch, P.L. & A. Vega E., T.M. Herrmann (eds.) 2010. Interdependence of biodiversity and development under global change. Technical Series No. 54. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal (second corrected edition). Financial support has been provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development For further information, please contact: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity World Trade Centre 413 St. Jacques Street, Suite 800 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9 Phone: +1 514 288 2220 Fax: +1 514 288 6588 Email: [email protected] Website: www.cbd.int Typesetting: Em Dash Design Cover photos (top to bottom): Agro-ecosystem used for thousands of years in the vicinities of the Mycenae palace (located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece).
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change – Predictions, Economic Consequences, and the Relevance Of
    ISSN 1327-8231 ECONOMICS, ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Working Paper No. 188 Climate Change – Predictions, Economic Consequences, and the Relevance of Environmental Kuznets Curves by Clem Tisdell December 2012 THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND ISSN 1327-8231 WORKING PAPERS ON ECONOMICS, ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Working Paper No. 188 Climate Change – Predictions, Economic Consequences, and the Relevance of Environmental Kuznets Curves1 by Clem Tisdell2 December 2012 © All rights reserved 1 Revised notes for the fifth and final guest lecture given in October, 2012 in the College of Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing. I wish to thank Professor Dayuan Xue for inviting me to give these lectures. 2 School of Economics, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia Campus, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia Email: [email protected] The Economics, Environment and Ecology set of working papers addresses issues involving environmental and ecological economics. It was preceded by a similar set of papers on Biodiversity Conservation and for a time, there was also a parallel series on Animal Health Economics, both of which were related to projects funded by ACIAR, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Working papers in Economics, Environment and Ecology are produced in the School of Economics at The University of Queensland and since 2011, have become associated with the Risk and Sustainable Management Group in this school. Production of the Economics Ecology and Environment series and two additional
    [Show full text]
  • Building on Nature: Area-Based Conservation As a Key Tool for Delivering Sdgs
    Area-based conservation as a key tool for delivering SDGs CITATION For the publication: Kettunen, M., Dudley, N., Gorricho, J., Hickey, V., Krueger, L., MacKinnon, K., Oglethorpe, J., Paxton, M., Robinson, J.G., and Sekhran, N. 2021. Building on Nature: Area-based conservation as a key tool for delivering SDGs. IEEP, IUCN WCPA, The Nature Conservancy, The World Bank, UNDP, Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF. For individual case studies: Case study authors. 2021. Case study name. In: Kettunen, M., Dudley, N., Gorricho, J., Hickey, V., Krueger, L., MacKinnon, K., Oglethorpe, J., Paxton, M., Robinson, J.G., and Sekhran, N. 2021. Building on Nature: Area-based conservation as a key tool for delivering SDGs. IEEP, IUCN WCPA, The Nature Conservancy, The World Bank, UNDP, Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF. CORRESPONDING AUTHORS Nigel Dudley ([email protected]) and Marianne Kettunen ([email protected]) PARTNERS Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) The Nature Conservancy (TNC) The World Bank Group UN Development Programme (UNDP) Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) WWF DISCLAIMER The information and views set out in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official opinions of the institutions involved. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report and the work underpinning it has benefitted from the support of the following people: Sophia Burke (AmbioTEK CIC), Andrea Egan (UNDP), Marie Fischborn (PANORAMA), Barney Long (Re-Wild), Melanie McField (Healthy Reefs), Mark Mulligan (King’s College, London), Caroline Snow (proofreading), Sue Stolton (Equilibrium Research), Lauren Wenzel (NOAA), and from the many case study authors named individually throughout the publication.
    [Show full text]
  • A Test of the Environmental Kuznets Curve Using Long-Term Watershed Inputs
    Ecological Applications, 14(2), 2004, pp. 555±570 q 2004 by the Ecological Society of America A TEST OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE USING LONG-TERM WATERSHED INPUTS SARAH E. GERGEL,1,6 ELENA M. BENNETT,2 BEN K. GREENFIELD,2,7 SUSAN KING,3 CHRISTINE A. OVERDEVEST,4 AND BASIL STUMBORG5,8 1National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California 93101 USA 2Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 USA 3Department of Chemical Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717 USA 4Department of Sociology and Rural Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 USA 5Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 USA Abstract. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) postulates that environmental quality is initially degraded with increasing economic prosperity, until reaching some turn- ing point where environmental quality improves with increases in wealth. Tests using environmental indicators beyond those that affect human health have been less supportive of the EKC idea. We hypothesize that environmental changes impacting human health are more likely to show evidence of an EKC than variables less directly related to human health. Furthermore, the EKC hypothesis assumes that ecological damage is reversible, and we argue that this assumption is not always valid. We test for evidence of an EKC in Dane County, Wisconsin, using non-point-source pollution time series data for Lake Mendota throughout the 20th century. We examine metals deposited in lake sediments (cadmium, chromium, copper, and lead), other non-point-source pollutants such as sulfur and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and water clarity (measured by Secchi disk depth).
    [Show full text]
  • The Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH) Occurs When
    Globalization and the Environmental Spillovers of sectoral FDI Nadia Doytcha and Merih Uctumb aUniversity of New Haven, Department of Economics and Finance bBrooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York November 2011 Abstract We analyze the relation between inflows of capital at the sectoral level and environmental degradation and examine the halo effect (FDI brings in clean technology and improves environmental standards), the pollution haven argument (capital flows to poor countries with environmentally lax standards) and the Environmental Kuznets Curve, EKC (pollution increases with economic growth, and declines after a certain threshold of wealth is reached). We find that (i) FDI flows into manufacturing support the pollution haven argument, while those flowing into services support the halo effect hypothesis; (ii) FDI flowing in poorer countries has more harmful effects on environment, while those flowing to richer countries have a beneficial effect and support a halo effect; (iii) When air pollution is measured by CO instead of CO2, FDI flows to OECD countries raise the pollution level in countries receiving investment flows into mining and services, supporting the pollution haven hypothesis; (iv) EKC results hold at an early level of development for most types of capital inflows. As countries become wealthier, EKC is supported if countries allow capital inflows in traditionally dirty industries, such as mining and manufacturing. Page | 0 Introduction Globalization is a phenomenon that generates heated discussions, both for and against. Financial crises, social unrest and environmental degradation are some of the many concerns voiced by its opponents. Although crises tend to be self-correcting over time, and social problems can be resolved with economic progress, the same cannot be argued for the degradation of the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Prosperity, Strong Sustainability, and Global Biodiversity Conservation: Testing the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis
    ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, STRONG SUSTAINABILITY, AND GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION: TESTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE HYPOTHESIS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Julianne H. Mills, B.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2009 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Dr. Elizabeth Marschall, Advisor Dr. Becky Mansfield _________________________________ Dr. Amanda Rodewald Advisor Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology Dr. Brent Sohngen and Organismal Biology Copyright by Julianne Helene Mills 2009 ABSTRACT Ecologists tend to be wary of the effects of increasing wealth on the environment, arguing that economic growth and conservation are incompatible goals. Many economists, on the other hand, expect economic growth to be a cure for global environmental challenges; they contend that wealthier countries have the luxury of investing more heavily in efforts to conserve and protect ecosystems. The economic perspective is formalized in the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis (EKC), which suggests a u-shaped relationship between income and environmental quality. In order to test this EKC hypothesis, I use estimates of per capita income and deforestation rates (index of biodiversity threat) for 35 tropical countries. A prior analysis (Dietz and Adger 2003) using conventional regression techniques failed to provide any support for the parabolic relationship predicted by the EKC hypothesis. Here, I introduce the use of quantile regression and spatial filtering to reanalyze this data, addressing issues of heteroskedasticity and spatial autocorrelation. I note that preliminary analysis using these methods provides some initial evidence for an EKC; rich countries appear to protect a greater proportion of their forests than do poorer countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Does the Environmental Kuznets Curve Exist? an International Study
    sustainability Article Does the Environmental Kuznets Curve Exist? An International Study Nutnaree Maneejuk 1, Sutthipat Ratchakom 1, Paravee Maneejuk 2,* and Woraphon Yamaka 2 1 Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; [email protected] (N.M.); [email protected] (S.R.) 2 Center of Excellence in Econometrics, Faculty of Economics, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 11 September 2020; Accepted: 30 October 2020; Published: 2 November 2020 Abstract: This study aims to examine the relationship between economic development and environmental degradation based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. The level of CO2 emissions is used as the indicator of environmental damage to determine whether or not greater economic growth can lower environmental degradation under the EKC hypothesis. The investigation was performed on eight major international economic communities covering 44 countries across the world. The relationship between economic growth and environmental condition was estimated using the kink regression model, which identifies the turning point of the change in the relationship. The findings indicate that the EKC hypothesis is valid in only three out of the eight international economic communities, namely the European Union (EU), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Group of Seven (G7). In addition, interesting results were obtained from the inclusion of four other control variables into the estimation model for groups of countries to explain the impact on environmental quality. Financial development (FIN), the industrial sector (IND), and urbanization (URB) were found to lead to increasing CO2 emissions, while renewable energies (RNE) appeared to reduce the environmental degradation.
    [Show full text]