Measuring Environmental Quality in Asia
Peter Rogers
Kazi F. Jalal
Bindu N. Lohani
Gene M. Owens
Chang-Chung Yu
Christia M Dufournaud
Jun Bi
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Contributors
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Environmental Indicators: Issues and Problems
Definitions
Criteria for Developing Indices
Functions of an Indicator
Intended Indicator Users and Audiences
Framework for Indicator Creation
Computation of Indices
Weighting Factors in Indices
Current Status of Environmental Indicators
Environmental Components and Themes
Basic Environmental Indicators
Environmental Indices: A Review
Sustainable Development
New Measures of Environmental Quality
New Environmental Quality Indicators
Principal Components to Find the Dimensionality of Indices
Cost of Remediation
Environmental Standards
Setting Environmental Standards
Development Diamonds-Environmental Diamonds
Environmental Elasticity
Computing Environmental Elasticity for OECD Countries
Applications and Policy Implications of the Cost of Remediation Index
ADB's Environmental Expenditure Record
Estimation of Cost of Remediation
Applications of Cost-of-Remediation Indices
National Estimates of the Cost of Remediation
Applications and Policy Implications of Environmental Elasticity and Developmental Diamonds
Characterizing Environmental Trends for Asian Countries
Assessing Environmental Trends in Asia
Cross-Country Comparison of Long-Term Environmental Trends
Computing EEs for Sixteen Asian Countries
Assessing the State of the Environment in Asia
Policy Implications of Environmental Elasticity and Environmental Diamond
Summary and Conclusions
Environmental Preferences
Proposed Indices: Their Advantages and Disadvantages
Application 1: Identifying Need of DMCs for Environmental Investment and Internal-External Financing
Application 2: Investments in Environmental Remediation Across Different Sectors--What Will $100 Million Buy?
Application 3: Financial Affordability of Environmental Standards--Are They Feasible?
Environmental Elasticity
Identifying Priorities for Environmental Remediation
References
Appendix:
Compiling Emission Factors for DMCs: a Method for Rapid Assessment Using Secondary Data
Introduction
Some Conceptual Issues Related to Environmental Emissions
Pollution Intensities (Emission Factors)
Industrial Air and Water Emissions: A Comparison Between the US and PRC
Vehicular Emissions: A Comparison between the US and the Philippines
Emissions from Energy Consumption by Industries and Households
Emissions from Agricultural and Forestry Activities
Solid Waste Generation by Industries and Households
Summary
Appendix:
Cost of Remediation
Introduction
Cost Functions
Cost Functions-Air
Cost Functions-Water
Cost Functions-Land
Cost Functions-Ecosystems
Full-Cost Accounting
Use of COR for Investment Decisions
Commentary on the COR Index
Appendix:
A Review of Environmental Indices
Introduction
Rationale for Environmental Indicator Development
Early Development of Media-Specific Indicators
A Modern Interpretation of Environmental Indicators
Summary of Traditional Indices
Institutions Engaged in Index Studies
Appendix:
Some Theoretical and Technical Issues Regarding Environmental Elasticity and Environmental Diamonds
Issues Regarding Environmental Elasticity and an Alternative Index for Measuring Environmental Trend Relative to Economic Trend
Issues Related to Alternative Ways of Sub-Index Aggregation
Summary
Peter Rogers is Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Engineering and Professor of City Planning at Harvard University.
Kazi F. Jalal is a member of the faculty of the Harvard University Extension School and formerly Chief, Office of Environment and Social Development of the Asian Development Bank.