Population, environment and poverty in Pakistan: linkages and empirical evidence

This study explores the interlinkages among population, environment and poverty and presents empirical evidence in a developing country like Pakistan. It gives alternative views on population environment linkages. It explains poverty trap, market based harmony, and dual effect of poverty on the basis of a link between population growth and natural resource degradation. In addition, the paper also highlights social and political instability through population-poverty-environment spiral. It also presents empirical evidence on population-environment-poverty nexus in Pakistan. It also compares environmental sustainability index and human development index for selected Asian countries. The paper also gives scores for different components of environmental sustainability index for Pakistan and compares these with India. The paper concludes that the causal relationship between poverty and environment works in both directions, often through changes in GDP and population. Population stress does not have any significant direct effect on all aspects of environmental status in Pakistan.

Potential influences of global warming on future climate and extreme events in Nigeria

This study investigates future impacts of global warming on climate and extreme climate events in Nigeria, the most populous African country that depends on rain-fed agriculture. Past and future climate simulations from 9 GCMs were downscaled (using a statistical model) and analyzed for the study. The study considers the impacts of two emission scenarios (B1 and A2) on the future climates (2046–2065 and 2081–2100) over ecological zones in Nigeria. The model evaluation shows that the downscaling adds values to the GCMs simulation, and the results capture all the important climatic features over the country. The model projections show that both B1 and A2 scenarios change the future climate over Nigeria. They significantly increase the temperature over all the ecological zones, with greatest warming (between 1 and 4 °C) over the Sudan (short grass) Savanna in March. The warming, which increases the occurrence of extreme temperature and heat wave events over the entire country, enhances the frequency of the extreme rainfall events in the south and southeast and reduces the annual rainfall over the northeast. Since heavy rains and floods are major problems in the south and southeast, and drought is major problem in the northeast, the global warming may further aggravate these environmental problems in future. These could have negative impacts on agriculture and further threaten livelihood and food security in the rapidly growing country. Hence, there is need for further studies on adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the impacts of global warming in Nigeria.     

基于STIRPAT模型的甘肃省环境影响分析

能源短缺已成为全球资源环境的主要问题之一,辩明人类活动各因素对能源消费的影响程度,并据此制定和实施可持续的能源消费政策是当前的研究热点。以STIRPAT模型为分析工具,以甘肃省1991～2009年能源消费总量为环境影响指标,分解了人文因素对环境影响的作用大小。结果表明,富裕程度的提高和城市化进程的推进都能够加剧环境的恶化,而且城市化对环境影响的弹性系数是富裕对环境影响弹性系数的278倍。在观测数据范围内,尚未出现环境Kuznets曲线的拐点,仍然处于曲线的上升段。居民消费结构的多样化有利于降低能源消费,其对环境影响的抑制作用略低于富裕对环境影响的加剧作用。最后讨论了STIRPAT模型的优缺点,并指出甘肃省主要相关因子对环境影响的作用机理还有待更深一步的研究     

How much real cost has China paid for its economic growth?

China’s economic growth has a serious impact on the environment and resources. How much real cost did China pay for its economic growth? This paper estimates the monetary costs of resource depletion, environmental pollution, and ecological degradation. The paper examines the geographic distribution of resource and environmental losses across 31 provinces. The findings allow us to reach the following conclusions. First, the national cost of resource depletion, environmental pollution, and ecological degradation in 2005 was 2.5 trillion RMB. It accounted for 13.5% of China’s gross domestic product (GDP). Secondly, the cost of resource depletion, ecological degradation, and environmental pollution has a different spatial distribution. The cost of resources depletion mainly distributes in the central area, the cost of environmental pollution is in the eastern area, and the cost of ecological degradation lies in the western area. Thirdly, the cost of natural resources depletion is 1,672.5 billion RMB, accounting for 67.8% of the total cost of resource and environment. It indicates that economic development has a high cost of resource depletion.     

Population,development,and environment in India

High population growth and continued economic development have caused serious environmental damage in the Asia Pacific region.However,the recent experience is that the pace of environmental degradation is faster in developing countries than in developed countries.To this end,the study seeks to assess the impact of population pressure on India’s environment,with particular reference to the degradation of natural endowments like land and water resources and the resultant environmental pollution in the six regions of India.The rapid economic growth and expansion of infrastructure development in recent decades have not come without serious environmental consequences particularly in the southern,northern,and western regions.But in the eastern,north-eastern,and central regions of the country,environmental damage has been mainly due to rapid population growth.     

Management Model of Resources Equilibrium Distribution among Overlapping-Generations

The overlapping generation models the western scholars have designed from various perspectives to address different kinds of issues do not reflect Chinese emerging political and economic problems, and cannot be entirely and blindly applied to Chinese practical situation. In this paper the authors endeavor to incorporate some western scholars' research results into their own research findings to present overlapping generations model theory in a new perspective through establishing an overlapping generations theory on population including articulation of concepts and theorems of biological generation, economic generation and social generation and the overlapping periods in biological generation and two overlapping periods in economic generation among three generations. This management model with equilibrium distribution of resource wealth includes overlapping generations length model (6), equilibrium transfer model (θ) and a complete model on equilibrium distribution among generations (δ-θ). The model p     

基于STIRPAT模型的武汉市环境影响驱动力分析

面对日益严重的环境问题,不仅要了解导致环境问题的各种驱动力,更应建立模型来精确描述环境影响与驱动力之间的关系。以武汉市为例,应用SPSS软件、以STIRPAT模型为依据,建立了描述环境影响与各驱动力之间精确关系的数个模型。模型计算结果表明:人口总量的增长和人类发展指数的上升是最主要的环境影响驱动力,城市化率、人均GDP等因素对环境也有影响;第三产业比重的上升有助于减小环境影响;基尼系数对环境几乎没有影响。以此为据,就如何改变这些影响因素,以减小环境影响提出了建议。除了人口总量等常规指标,还分析了人类发展指数、城市化率、基尼系数等指标,充实了环境影响驱动力指标体系,更客观反映了造成武汉市环境问题的原因。     

Management Model of Resources Equilibrium Distribution among Overlapping-Generations

Abstract

The overlapping generation models the western scholars have designed from various perspectives to address different kinds of issues do not reflect Chinese emerging political and economic problems, and cannot be entirely and blindly applied to Chinese practical situation. In this paper the authors endeavor to incorporate some western scholars' research results into their own research findings to present overlapping generations model theory in a new perspective through establishing an overlapping generations theory on population including articulation of concepts and theorems of biological generation, economic generation and social generation and the overlapping periods in biological generation and two overlapping periods in economic generation among three generations. This management model with equilibrium distribution of resource wealth includes overlapping generations length model (δ), equilibrium transfer model (?) and a complete model on equilibrium distribution among generations (δ-?). The model provides quantitative basis for the creation of resource management system, and fills in a theoretical gap in this discipline in China. Besides, it furnishes a new methodology and manipulate tool for Chinese government to establish a comprehensive management information bank for many sectors such as economic trade, population, science and technology, education, human resource, natural resource and environment, agriculture, forestry, industry, mining and energy.     

人口增长必须同资源利用和环境保护相协调

我国人口众多,造成资源紧缺,环境保护压力大。因此,人口、资源、环境和发展必须互相协调、互相适应。本文为协调适应指出了三方面的解决途径。     

南京市资源环境承载力监测预警研究

以南京市为案例,在资源环境承载力评价的基础上,结合各区环境胁迫压力变化趋势,综合判定南京市资源环境承载力监测预警等级,并对超载成因进行解析,提出相应的管控对策建议。该研究将南京市资源环境承载力监测预警等级划分为红色预警区、橙色预警区、黄色预警区、蓝色预警区和绿色无警区五级,结果显示目前南京市资源环境承载力预警等级总体处于较高水平。尽管南京市总体社会经济发展的环境胁迫压力相对不大,且具有减缓的趋势,但资源环境承载力的超载状态决定了主城区为红色预警区,江宁区、六合区、浦口区为橙色预警区,溧水区和高淳区则为黄色预警,全市没有分布蓝色预警区和绿色无警区。     

Poverty,environment and economic growth: exploring the links among three complex issues with specific focus on the Pakistan’s case

Eradicating poverty, reducing environmental degradation and achieving sustainable economic growth are some of the major macroeconomic goals of Pakistan. There are, however, serious interlinkages among these issues. The present paper investigates these linkages and the existing evidence for Pakistan and other countries. The aim of the paper is to examine and test some hypotheses and answer some questions regarding poverty-environment-nexus in Pakistan. The paper uses secondary data and information to probe into these linkages. The paper finds that poverty leads to environmental degradation is a common belief but it is not clearly supported by evidence. What is more strongly supported by evidence is the fact that environmental degradation hurts more the poor. There is a need of studies that deal with the social and environmental impacts of specific factors, and a need of a better understanding of institutional dynamics. More understanding on how levels and changes in poverty relate to changes in environmental quality is needed. There is a need to understand how the levels and rates of change vary with poverty. There is a need to know how and where the changes are taking place. More research is needed on the effects of changes in the population and the dynamics of institutional development. It has been showed that low income groups are the most affected when environmental degradation occur, but not enough information available in Pakistan on the mechanisms. There is a need of empirical studies regarding effect on poor relative to non-poor. More understanding on how poor people depend on, interact with and use their environment in rural and urban areas is needed. Ideally, in Pakistan, we would need to relate data gathered in an area with socio-economic data from the same area, answering this way to questions such as, to what extent are different income groups affected by resource degradation? And, by pollution? Finally, Pakistan should apply open minded and innovative policies in order to take advantage of the many existing opportunities. Some suggestions are eco-labeling schemes, organic practices, fair trade and so forth. Very little research has been conducted in developing countries, especially in Pakistan on the issues involving poverty, environment and development. The present study is an attempt in this regard. The results of the study are expected to assume pivotal importance for policy makers, academics and other researchers. It may help policy makers how to design policy to ensure poverty alleviation vis-à-vis environmental conservation. It may also help academicians to understand the complex poverty-environment-growth nexus. It will also open new avenues for further research in this area.     

Drought-induced resettlement: a case study from Burkina Faso

As a result of the '16-year drought' that Burkina Faso experienced from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, there has been significant movement of people from the north of the country to the south. The large numbers of people that were displaced as a result of this natural disaster put pressure on the production systems of the south and caused concern amongst development organisations that environmental degradation would follow. Through a 2-year research period, using participatory approaches, it was found that despite a doubling of the population and the introduction of foreign production systems, the process of communal land control has significantly limited environmental degradation. This paper explains how customary law has controlled the settlement of immigrants (the Mossi and Fulani) and how it has overseen land allocation in three villages. The conclusions of the study indicate that, firstly, the customary law mechanisms in the three villages are effective in addressing communal resource use and, secondly, there is an evolution in customary law systems as they respond to local change. Received: 24 February 1999 · Accepted: 15 May 1999     

转型期的资源与环境管理：基于市场-政府-社会三角制衡的分析

在经济体制转型期，伴随着经济的持续快速增长，我国出现了前所未有的资源破坏和环境恶化现象，严重制约未来经济社会的可持续发展。由此，构建解决经济发展需求与资源环境供给矛盾的有效机制，成为政界及学术界共同关注的重点课题。从中国经济转型期存在的主要资源与环境问题分析入手，提出资源环境管理制度构建的理想框架，通过进一步评价我国在市场机制、政府干预、公众参与3个方面的经验及教训，分别提出未来改进的方向。研究结果表明：“市场—政府—社会”三足鼎立的制度结构是我国资源环境管理制度构建的理想目标，也是适应世界资源环境保护发展的潮流。最后提出协调政府和市场作用、构建市场运作平台、营造公众参与氛围等方面的政策建议。     

人口问题对我国可持续发展的制约及其对策思考

可持续发展的重要内涵是经济增长不应以损害子孙后代的环境和资源条件为代价。其核心是强调社会、经济、环境三者之间的协调关系。由于各国经济发展水平和人口再生产模式不同 ,使环境问题产生的原因和可持续发展的侧重点也不同。本文强调指出 ,目前人口问题依然是影响我国可持续发展的重要因素。因此 ,应重点从人口总量、人口构成与分布、人口质量三个方面解决人口问题对我国可持续发展的制约     

Soil radioactivity and incidence of cancer in Nigeria

The significance of exposure from natural radioactivity in soil and the potential risk for causing health detriment have not received adequate attention in Nigeria. Cancer has become a major cause of mortality in the recent times and now the public interest in the long-term effects of radiation on humans has assumed great prominence following the establishment of a nuclear regulatory body in Nigeria. This study is an effort to investigate a possible relationship between reported cancer incidence and external terrestrial radiation dose level across the six geo-political zones of the country. Data from the national cancer registries across the zones were compared with expected cancer incidences due to soil radioactivity based on the linear no-threshold model (LNT). A regression equation that best describe the reported cancer incidence and the expected cancer incidence was developed. It was observed that cancer cases attributable to radiation exposure due to soil radioactivity is low, constituting only between 1.3% and 9.2% of the total reported cases.     

Resource and Environmental Issues in Transitional China： A Perspective from the Interaction Among Market, Government and Society

Along with the rapid growth of economy in the postreform period after 1979,China has faced severe problems of resource overusing and environmental degradation which would threaten the sustainable development of economy and society.This article explores an effective mechanism of managing resource and environment in China.It examines some major resource and environmental issues,and constructs a framework of institution innovation to cover three sectors(government,market and society).In addition,the article analyzes their experience and evaluation in resource management and environmental conservation during the transitional period.We argue that the combination of market regulation,government intervention and public participation is an effective way of allocating resource and protecting environment.Some suggestions are put forward to balance the relationship between them,including coordinating role of government and market,building platform for market operation and creating an atmosphere of public participation.     

环境保护与资源可持续利用

资源、环境问题错综复杂,在人口与经济快速增长的条件下,在环境保护与资源持续利用之间,寻求合理的代价与适度的承受能力的动态平衡临界点是亟待研究的重要问题。本文从可持续发展的概念出发,阐述了资源、环境问题的最终目标;提出国家的宏观调控是环境保护与资源持续利用的核心,系统信息工程是资源、环境问题的战略技术;指出我国存在着资源、环境问题的地区差异,协调跨省区、跨部门的综合性重大资源与环境工程要因地制宜,因时制宜。     

Environmental degradation and economic growth: evidence for a developing country

This paper examines the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation in Ecuador from 1971 to 2010. We estimate this relationship in a country with a heavy reliance on revenue from the exploitation of natural resources, the depletion of vegetation cover in recent decades and a low level of participation of industry in GDP. We show the existence of an inverse relationship between real GDP and vegetation cover, indicating that the output of this country is based on environmental degradation. Through Johansen co-integration tests, we check that there is a relationship of long-term equilibrium between the first differences of real GDP, vegetal cover and the urbanization rate. The ECM shows that there is a short-term relationship between vegetation cover, the GDP and the rate of urbanization. Finally, we did not found Granger causality between the variables. A policy implication based on our findings is that policies to protect the environment should not jeopardize economic growth and not limit the rapid urbanization in the country.     

Resource and Environmental Issues in Transitional China: A Perspective from the Interaction Among Market,Government and Society

Abstract

Along with the rapid growth of economy in the postreform period after 1979, China has faced severe problems of resource overusing and environmental degradation which would threaten the sustainable development of economy and society. This article explores an effective mechanism of managing resource and environment in China. It examines some major resource and environmental issues, and constructs a framework of institution innovation to cover three sectors (government, market and society). In addition, the article analyzes their experience and evaluation in resource management and environmental conservation during the transitional period. We argue that the combination of market regulation, government intervention and public participation is an effective way of allocating resource and protecting environment. Some suggestions are put forward to balance the relationship between them, including coordinating role of government and market, building platform for market operation and creating an atmosphere of public participation.     

长三角区域一体化的环境效应研究进展

长三角区域一体化的环境效应研究对于资源节约和环境友好型社会的建立和长三角区域整体竞争实力的提升具有重要意义。总结当前该领域研究在理论、方法等方面取得最新进展的基础上,指出当前研究的薄弱环节,并展望未来的研究方向。研究表明：目前长三角区域一体化的环境问题受到普遍关注,已从经济空间格局变化、产业集聚发展与污染转移、人口增长压力及外商直接投资增长等多个方面对长三角区域一体化的环境影响机理和效应进行分析,并从区域环保合作（环保一体化）、区域生态补偿及环保规制等方面探讨解决长三角区域一体化环境效应的途径。在研究方法上,以计量经济学模型和采用ArcGIS空间分区为主的定量分析方法开始应用于长三角区域一体化的环境问题变量的识别及基于环境约束的一体化空间优化格局。当前的研究尚未形成体系,理论研究欠缺,方法应用有限。从发展趋势看,今后基于区域一体化的环境效应的机理研究有待深入,多学科融合、新技术方法的应用将得到加强