Alternative Approaches to Pollution Control and Waste Management: Regulatory and Economic Instruments (Urban Management Program Discussion Paper Series)

This background study is part of a series of working papers that, in combination with case studies and research, will be used to develop an overall report on strategic options for urban environmental management. Other papers in the series will cover priorities for urban waste management and pollution control, energy/ environmental linkages in the urban sector, local management of wastes from small scale and cottage industries, land degradation, and the urban environmental planning and management process. Each paper will provide background information on key urban development and environmental linkages and/or suggest elements of an environmental management strategy for cities in the developing world. In addition, research reports are being prepared on the following topics: health impacts of urban environmental problems, economic ramitifications of urban environmental problems, urban environmental data collection, and the application of remote sensing and geographic information systems to urban environmental planning. Finally, case studies on important urban environmental problems are being prepared for Sao Paulo, Katowice, Tunis, Accra, Jakarta, Chittagong, and the Singrauli region of India.

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the most common strategies and policy instruments (that is, regulatory and economic) used in developed and developing countries to achieve pollution control and waste management objectives. Although this topic has been at the center of theoretical controversy both within and outside the World Bank, this paper is not intended to contribute to this debate. Rather, its purpose is to explore how regulatory and economic instruments are used to control air and water pollution, protect ground water, and manage solid and hazardous wastes. The paper is directed to policy makers at the national, state, and local levels of government, as well as to other parties responsible for pollution control and waste management programs. Given the lack of consensus in this area, the papaer does not intend to provide normative guidelines.

Table of Contents:

Foreword and Acknowledgments
Executive Summary

I. Overview of The Instruments
A. Introduction
B. Command and Control Versus Economic Strategies
C. Regulatory and Economic Instruments to Control
D. Institutional Implications
E. Conclusions

II. Regulatory and Economic Instruments: Application to Pollution Control and Waste Management
A. Surface Water Pollution
B. Ground-Water Protection
C. Air Pollution Control
D. Solid Waste Management
E. Hazardous Waste Management

Figures
Boxes
Tables
Bibliography

Post Date : 15 Mei 2007