Ecological Policy And Politics In Developing Countries

Examines in depth the ecological problems, policies, and politics of ten major developing countries.

Uses Brazil as a case study of how governments implement environmental policies despite urgent needs for economic development.

Though industrialized countries are usually the ones indicted when environmental pollution is discussed, over the few last years the rate of emissions in developing countries has increased by a startling amount. The fallout from this increase is evidenced by the struggle of cities like Beijing to improve their air quality. Yet there also exist developing countries such as Thailand that have managed to limit their emissions to more tolerable levels, raising the question: why are some developing countries more willing or able to take care of their environment than others? In this volume, Gabriele Spilker proposes two factors for the differences in developing countries’ environmental performance: integration into the international system and domestic political institutions. Focusing on developing countries generally but also closely examining important global powers such as China and India, Spilker employs a rigorous quantitative analysis to demonstrate the importance of considering various aspects of the international system, in order to draw more comprehensive conclusions about how globalization affects environmental performance. She asserts that democratic political institutions can shield developing countries from the negative consequences of either trade or foreign direct investment. But at the same time, developing countries, by avoiding demanding commitments, are more likely to use environmental treaties as a cover than as a real plan of action. Adding a new dimension to the existing body of research on environmental quality and commitment, Spilker convincingly demonstrates how international and domestic political factors interact to shape developing countries’ ability and willingness to care for their natural environment.

Vieira focuses on the relationship between environmental pollution and socioeconomic underdevelopment and emphasizes the role information can play in the protection of the Third World environment. She identifies the main governmental and nongovernmental institutions related to important aspects of the Third World environment--pollution control, sanitation, public health, and development and alternative technologies. The Brazilian institutional panorama is analyzed and then compared with Mexican, Indian, and Egyptian systems in an effort to identify common points that might be applied to the Third World as a whole. Finally, she recommends the establishment of an informal international network of both nongovernmental institutions and individuals for the exchange of information considered important to the developing countries or pertinent to the environmental realities of the Third World. Providing the core for such a network is an appendix listing organizations interested in the environment and development of the Third World.

Combining the theoretical tools of comparative politics with the substantive concerns of environmental policy, experts explore responses to environmental problems across nations and political systems.

This unique book traces the origins and evolution of environmental policy formation, comparing the differences in this process between developing and developed countries. It focuses on the importance of the state’s role and issues of timing and sequence in the creation of environmental policies.

This exciting new text for the Environmental Politics and/or Policy course(s) does not just look at this subject from a U.S. perspective, but an international one, expanding upon and reflecting the globalization of this important area of study. Using the comparative approach, students will learn about environmental issues but not without a larger context. Included in the comparative examination are post-industrial countries, developing countries, post-Communist countries, and of course, the U.S. In addition, chapters on science (what science is and how it fits into the political context), international law, and emerging issues (such as women and the environment) make this a strong and exciting text.

This book assesses and compares the political response of nations to the environment. The book explores five major topics: state-society relations; environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs); Green parties and environmental movements; institutions of government and policy-making; variations in the capacities of states to protect the environment; and national responses to global problems. It compares and contrasts rich and poor nations, large and small countries, liberal democracies and authoritarian states.

The twelve chapters in this work--written by political scientists, economists, and environmental experts--deal with environmental policy in the developing nations of Africa, Asia, East Europe and Latin America, as well as the worldwide environment. Part One discusses environmental policy analysis and presents information both on sources of pollution--which include manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation--and methods for dealing with pollution, which encompass government structures, incentives, issues of privatization or contracting out, and technological fixes. The other five parts deal with the developing nations individually and discuss environmental policy as it relates to each one and the unique problems that each one faces.

The Politics of Sustainable Developmentanalyzes how the theory of sustainable development has been related to the practice and how it has been applied within Europe at all levels of government from the EU down to the sub-national local level. The essays included here begin with an analysis of the ambiguities inherent in sustainable development and the contestable nature of the concept. The contributors explore how far it is possible to reconcile economic growth with environmental needs, asking whether sustainable development can promote equity and development. The book breaks fresh ground in assessing the impact of deep ecological thought on sustainable development as part of a new typology of the concept. The second section examines how sustainable development has been interpreted at EU and sub-national levels within the member states, with examples drawn from the Mediterranean and Northern European countries. Contrasting interpretations of sustainable development are examined,considering political and administrative conflicts, the influence of cultural factors, and tensions between different levels of government. The ambiguity of sustainable development has led to extensive confusion and created the need for a clearer consensus among policy-makers as to how the concept should be interpreted.