No abstract

No abstract

This paper employs a stated preference environmental valuation method i.e. Contingent Valuation Method to estimate the willingness to pay for the conservation of the Dachigam National Park as well as value estimates crucial to the development of the park acquisition and management policy. A contingent valuation study is conducted with 301 visitors and the data are analysed using the binary logit model. Results show that the majority of the tourists (benefitted from the use values of the park) were willing to pay (WTP) for its improvement. Respondents' willingness to pay for the conservation of the park ranges from Rs. 110 to Rs. 140 per year with a mean of around Rs. 125 per year. With the use of the benefits transfer method, this case study is expected to provide policy-makers, corporate players, stakeholders with useful information for the conservation of biodiversity in the Indian sub-continent, as well as in other countries.

In recent years various empirical studies have investigated and quantified the causal relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation through an empirical model so-called Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), currently applied to a range of pollutants. The inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) demonstrates that initially the pollution and environmental degradation surpass the level of income per capita; however this trend reverses since at the higher income levels, economic growth initiates environmental upgrading. It's distinguishing aspect in the initial stage of development exhibits negative relationship between the environmental quality and per capita income increased and positive relationship between improving environmental condition at the higher level of development. The developing countries find Kuznets verdict indubitably tedious between economic growth and environmental development. Unresponsive regarding environmental protection and endeavor to speed up economic growth had not only kept environmental considerations as secondary objectives in policy making in these countries but also threatened their sustainable future. The paper overviews the EKC literature, background history, policy conceptual insights, and the conceptual and methodological critique. It also underlines other econometric problems with estimates of the EKC. Based on secondary data with reference to India for EKC, this paper analyzes the relationship between Carbon Emission CO2 (per capita metric tons) and GDP (real net per capita in Rs). Using Kuznets original model we conclude that in India after 1990 CO2 emission growth rate is lower than GDP (real net per capita in Rs) growth rate (Implying India follows EKC).

No abstract