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Can policy achieve environmental fairness and environmental improvement? Evidence from the Xin’an River project in China

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  • Zhang, Hong-Zhen
  • He, Ling-Yun
  • Zhang, ZhongXiang

Abstract

In a river basin across regions, is environmental improvement in downstream areas based on actions that negatively impact economic development and social welfare in upstream areas? This paper takes the pilot of Transverse Eco-compensation Mechanism (TECM) in Xin'an River of China as a quasi-natural experiment and uses the difference-in-differences strategy to estimate the impact of TECM on environmental inequality. We find that the government’s environmental policy may lead to more environmental inequality，which is often overlooked. Our results show that the pilot of TECM depresses the upstream economy, reduces upstream resident income, especially rural residents, and widens the regional income gap between the upstream and downstream. Heterogeneous tests confirm our findings. Our mechanism test shows that the industries’ shutting down and relocation are the main driving forces for the regional environmental inequality in the short term. Therefore, in implementing future TECM, the upstream government needs to pay attention to the economic slowdown and the subsequent unemployment and resident welfare loss. The central and downstream governments should help the upstream regions upgrade the industrial structure, rather than just pay compensation funds, thereby reducing the resulting environmental inequality. Our findings have important policy implications for the treatment of trans-regional river pollution.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Hong-Zhen & He, Ling-Yun & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2024. "Can policy achieve environmental fairness and environmental improvement? Evidence from the Xin’an River project in China," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 212-234.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jpolmo:v:46:y:2024:i:1:p:212-234
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2023.11.008
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transverse eco-compensation; Xin'an River；Environmental regulation; Environmental inequality; Difference-in-differences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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