Les droits de propriété au service de la croissance et de l’environnement : un projet pour la Méditerranée

There is a strong disparity between the countries on the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean in terms of standard of living and quality of the environment. How can these differences be explained and what can be done to overcome them? It is true that the geographical conditions, and particularly the climate, are different, but these differences cannot be justified, all the more so as the presence of oil deposits in certain countries not only does not allow for an improvement in economic and environmental conditions, but sometimes even worsens them. Our hypothesis is of an institutional nature, namely that private property rights are limited in as much as Islam considers that Allah is the eminent owner of the land and that if men can use it, they are not the full fee owners. In spite of multiple regulations that limit the "tragedy of open access", insecurity of land tenure is a brake on investment, economic development and environmental management. The evolution of institutions based on an intangible religion is certainly a difficult task, but it is a prerequisite necessary for economic development and wise environmental management.