Unit 3 - Policy Evaluation Criteria: Implementation Obstacles

Question 1

What are the components of the IPAT identity?

Answer 1

• I = Impact, measured as mass or volume
• P = Population size
• A = per capita affluence, measured in currency units
  
  • A = GDP / Population
• T = technology, as the amount of the resource used or waste generated per unit production
  
  • T = Resource Use / GDP

Question 2

According to the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), what is the relationship between economic development and environmental degradation?

Answer 2

Answer: The EKC suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship where pollution increases in early stages of economic growth but eventually decreases as countries become wealthier.

affluence first leads to environmental decay and then to improvement

Question 3

Name the major categories of policy implementation obstacles.

Answer 3

1. Information Asymmetry:
   
   • Monitoring and enforcement challenges
   • Attribution difficulties for non-point pollution
     
     • challenge of identifying and measuring the specific sources of pollution when it comes from multiple, diffuse sources rather than a single, identifiable point source⁠
2. Adverse Market Conditions:
   
   • Natural monopoly situations → incentives thus work differently, not like a traditional market
   • International competition effects
3. Environmental Factors:
   
   • Uncertainty about environmental states and impacts
   • Complex ecological interactions
     
     • one component can have unexpected ripple effects throughout the ecosystem.
     • For example, modifying one species’ population could affect multiple other species through food chains and habitat changes.
   • Spatial relationship challenges
     
     • Environmental issues often cross geographical boundaries and jurisdictions → means that environmental impacts in one area can affect other regions, making it difficult to implement and enforce policies effectively
     • For instance, air pollution or water contamination can spread across city, state, or national borders.
4. Sociopolitical Issues:
   
   • Political feasibility concerns
   • Economic burden distribution
   • Lobbying influence
   • International coordination requirements

Question 4

What are two key challenges related to spatial relationships in environmental policy implementation?

Answer 4

• Environmental issues often cross geographical boundaries and jurisdictions
• Environmental impacts in one area can affect other regions, making policy implementation and enforcement difficult

Question 5

What are the three main types of proposed policy interventions for Jordan’s water crisis?

Answer 5

• Supply Enhancement:
  
  • Red Sea-Dead Sea desalination projects (Phase 1: 80 MCM/year, Phase 2: 150 MCM/year)
  • Additional water supply projects (132 MCM/year)
• Demand Management:
  
  • Doubling piped water tariffs for higher tiers
  • Equalizing piped supply availability
  • Reducing non-revenue water losses
• Resource Reallocation:
  
  • 25% transfer of groundwater from agricultural to municipal sector

Question 6

How does the theory of demographic transitions relate to affluence?

Answer 6

Answer: As societies develop and become more affluent, they transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates, ultimately leading to decreased population growth over time.

Question 7

What specific challenges exist in monitoring non-point pollution?

Answer 7

Answer: There are attribution difficulties in identifying and measuring specific sources of pollution when it comes from multiple, diffuse sources rather than a single, identifiable point source.

Question 8

What is the IPAT Identity equation?

Answer 8

The IPAT Identity: I = P x A x T

Question 9

What does the IPAT identity do?

Answer 9

breaks down environmental impact into the key components to see how they drive environmental challenges

Question 10

How can you operationalize IPAT mathematically?

Answer 10

• tonnes = n * $/n * tonnes/$
  
  • n = Population
  • helps quantify the three factors’ environmental impact in tonnes

Question 11

Does the evidence hold for the Environmental Kuznets Curve?

Answer 11

Evidence for this relationship varies by pollutant type - it holds true for some sectors and some pollutants like sulfur dioxide but not for others like carbon dioxide emissions or municipal waste ⁠

Question 12

What are the population pressures associated with the Jordan Water Crisis?

Answer 12

• Projected 2-fold population increase even under optimistic scenarios
• Refugee crisis adding additional strain

Question 13

What were the implementation obstacles in the Jordan Water crisis?

Answer 13

1. Political and Economic Barriers:
   
   • Resistance to higher water prices for domestic and agricultural use
   • Deteriorating infrastructure
   • Limited capital for desalination projects
2. Policy Implementation Challenges:
   
   • Information campaigns undermined by leaks
   • Higher business water prices circumvented through tanker water markets
   • Infrastructure maintenance issues