Air Pollution and Economic Growth in MENA Countries: Testing EKC Hypothesis

Authors

  • R. Al-Rawashdeh College of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma’an, Jordan
  • A. Q. Jaradat College of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma’an, Jordan
  • M. Al-Shboul Department of Finance and Economics, College of Business Administration, University of Sharjah, UAE

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.70.4.7743

Keywords:

Kuznets curve, MENA, economic growth, pollution, environment

Abstract

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis is one of the models describing the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between economic growth and the two environmental indicators (SO2 emissions, SO2 emissions) in 22 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. Based on a country level analysis and by using time series data, the study revealed that there is an evidence for SO2 - EKC for Algeria, Tunisia, Yemen, Morocco, Turkey and Libya. Our findings for CO2 emissions also support an inverted U-shape pattern associated with the EKC hypothesis for Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey and Jordan. The results also showed that MENA region as a whole did not show EKC for SO2 emissions and CO2 emissions. Stricter policy measures and higher demands for the adoption of best environmental practices are required in order to generate an inverted U shaped curve relationship between GDP per capita and environmental degradation.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.70.4.7743

Author Biographies

R. Al-Rawashdeh, College of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma’an, Jordan

Associate Professor at the Department of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University

A. Q. Jaradat, College of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma’an, Jordan

Associate Professor at the Department of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University

M. Al-Shboul, Department of Finance and Economics, College of Business Administration, University of Sharjah, UAE

Associate Professor at the Department of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University

Downloads

Published

2014-12-29

Issue

Vol. 70 No. 4 (2014)

Section

Articles

License

The copyright for the articles in EREM is retained by the author(s) with the first publication right granted to the journal. The authors agree to the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 agreement under which the paper in the Journal is licensed.