Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability: New Policy Options (Initiative for Policy Dialogue Series C)

This important collection of essays from the leading writers in the field, focuses on the importance of taking environmental issues into account in the process of development and poverty reduction. This book deepens our understanding of environmental sustainability in a context of economic growth, putting sustainable development firmly back on the agenda. Natural Capital, Resource Dependency, And Poverty In Developing Countries : The Problem Of 'dualism Within Dualism' / Edward B. Barbier -- Measuring Development Prospects By 'greening' The National Accounts / Kirk Hamilton And Rashid Hassan -- Impacts Of Macroeconomic Policies On The Environment, Natural Resources, And Welfare In Developing Countries / Jon Strand And B. Gabriela Mundaca -- Political Economy And Natural Resource Use / Robert T. Deacon And Bernardo Mueller -- Structural Adjustment And Sustainable Development / Ramón López -- Trade And The Environment In Developing Economies / Brian R. Copeland And Sumeet Gulati -- Environmental Policy Instruments And Institutions In Developing Countries / E. Somanathan And Thomas Sterner -- Energy, Equity, And Economic Development / Douglas F. Barnes And Michael A. Toman -- Water Institutional Reforms In Developing Countries / R. Maria Saleth And Ariel Dinar -- Water Quality Issues In Developing Countries / Anil Markandya -- Urban Air Pollution, Health, And Policy Instruments / Alan J. Krupnick -- The Economics Of Terrestrial Biodiversity Conservation In Developing Nations / Heidi J. Albers And Paul Ferraro -- Conservation Of Tropical Forests / Erwin Bulte And Stefanie Engel. Edited By Ramón López And Michael A. Toman. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Economic growth as we know it today cannot persist indefinitely if it entails continuous degradation of natural resources and the environment. While in a few countries around the world it appears that environmental degradation has been the result of rapid economic growth, in the vast majority of the developing countries the environment has been equally spoiled despite slow or even negative economic growth. This book provides new insights on the common roots of economic stagnation, poverty and environmental degradation which, unfortunately, generally reside in misguided government policies and priorities. By doing this, the volume seeks to provide a broader policy option framework than those found in conventional policy analyses, mainly dominated by the'Washington Consensus'. It shows that a major omission of the conventional view is that governments tend to allocate government expenditures in a biased way favouring subsidies to the economic elites to the detriment of investments in public goods, including human capital, R&D, as well as the development of institutions (environmental and otherwise), which are vital for long run growth, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. This collection of essays focuses on the importance of taking environmental issues into account in the process of development and poverty reduction. It deepens our understanding of environmental sustainability in a context of economic growth, putting sustainable development back on the agenda