Political factors and the efficiency of municipal expenditure in Brazil

This study analyses how political and institutional factors affected the performance of municipalities in improving social welfare in Brazil in the period from1990 to 2000. Themodel adopts a stochastic production frontier, conditioned by variables related to the provision costs of services and those that can affect municipal efficiency. The results indicated that we can not reject:1) economies of scale; 2) the effect of vote margin in the municipality and the type (first or second) of mandate of elected governor, which indicates a form of patronage; and 3) that local politics and the existence of sectorial boards did not affect the level of efficiency for municipal spending, suggesting an asymmetry of information between politics and voters.Este estudo analisa como fatores políticos e institucionais afetama eficiência do gasto municipal no provimento do bem estar para a população ao longo da década dos noventa. O modelo adota a abordagem da fronteira de produção estocástica, condicionada por variáveis relacionadas ao custo da provisão dos serviços e os incentivos que afetam a eficiência municipal. O resultado indica que não podemos rejeitar: 1) economias de escala; 2) o efeito da margem de voto no município e do tipo de mandato (primeiro ou segundo) do governador eleito, indicando uma forma de clientelismo; e que 3) a política local e a existência de comitê setoriais não afetam o nível da eficiência do gasto, o que sugere assimetria de informação entre os políticos e os eleitores

Os impactos ambientais industriais da alca no Brasil

This study is an attempt to estimate the industrial environmental impacts due to FTAA in Brazil. Based on these CGE model results from Tourinho and Kume (2002), we estimate the resulting changes of pollution emission and water and energy use levels in the Brazilian industrial sector due to FTAA. Our results are very interesting since economy-aggregate direct environmental impacts of FTAA on the Brazilian economy are expected to be, in general, very minor and in the direction of a lower air pollution intensity (paniculate and SO2) and energy uses. Flowever, it is expected an increasing intensity in water pollution and uses and CO2 emissions. These changes will occur in few sectors where already exist dynamic technological and environmental policies and motivation to meet export market stricter environmental rules

The pattern of compliance with environmental regulation: evidence from the automobile industry

Air pollution concentrations have been rapidly increasing in the major urban areas of Brazil caused mainly by the increasing use of vehicles. In response, mandatory emission standards were introduced by the Programa de Controle da Poluigao Veicular (Proconve) in 1988. This paper uses pollution emission and characteristics data to analyze the compliance of the automobile industry with pollution regulation during the 1992-1997 period. We find that the compliance trend adopted by manufacturers was not homogeneous. Larger automobiles had the fastest compliance schedule while popular models adjusted very slowly. Also gasoline-fueled models had a faster adjustment pattern than ethanol cars. We conclude that although the regulation was successful in reducing car emissions, no further regulation was established after 1997. Additional policies that could create incentives for selling cleaner automobiles and driving fewer miles should be introduced together with a coherent policy for providing alternative public transportation systems

Morbidity costs associated with ambient air pollution exposure in Sao Paulo, Brazil

AbstractIn 2007 we conducted a contingent valuation survey in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to estimate the population's willingness–to–pay (WTP) to avoid one hospital admission (HA) and one emergency–room visit (ER) due to respiratory diseases in adults and children younger than 5 years old; and cardiovascular diseases in adults only; both associated with atmospheric air pollution. Our annual mean WTP estimates are €81.82 (adult) and €137.92 (child) for HA; €48.40 (adult) and €90.66 (child) for ER due to respiratory diseases; €53.57 (ER) and €90.08 (HA) for cardiovascular diseases. Our results suggest altruism towards children, and a strong income effect on WTP. Results will help analysts evaluating the health benefits of specific policies with potential air pollution impacts in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Economic growth x environment: forecasts for the Brazilian economy and its 5 macro regions, 2002 to 2012

Using the MIBRA model, an Applied Interregional General Equilibrium Model, constructed for the Brazilian economy and its five macro regions (North, Northeast, Central West, Southeast, an South), this papers tries to identify which would be the impact of the economic growth in the Brazilian economy an in its macro regions, from 2002 to 2012, on environmental variables, i.e., organic and inorganic materials, particulates, sulfurates, water, energy, CO2, and the Amazon rain forest. Concerning the economic growth rates, two scenarios are constructed, one pessimist and other optimistic, and the impact of both scenarios on the environmental variables are then measured. Some major environmental concerns are raised for each one of the Brazilian macro regions: a) for the North region, represented mainly by the Amazon rain forest, it is taken into the consideration the trade off between the area used by agricultural activities with the area used by the rain forest; b) for the Northeast region, the main concern is the restriction on water use; c) for the Central West region, it is taken into consideration the expansion of the agriculture frontier; d) for the Southeast and South regions, the more industrialized regions, pollutants are a proble

Economic growth x environment: forecasts for the Brazilian economy and its 5 macro regions, 2002 to 2012

Using the MIBRA model, an Applied Interregional General Equilibrium Model, constructed for the Brazilian economy and its five macro regions (North, Northeast, Central West, Southeast, an South), this papers tries to identify which would be the impact of the economic growth in the Brazilian economy an in its macro regions, from 2002 to 2012, on environmental variables, i.e., organic and inorganic materials, particulates, sulfurates, water, energy, CO2, and the Amazon rain forest. Concerning the economic growth rates, two scenarios are constructed, one pessimist and other optimistic, and the impact of both scenarios on the environmental variables are then measured. Some major environmental concerns are raised for each one of the Brazilian macro regions: a) for the North region, represented mainly by the Amazon rain forest, it is taken into the consideration the trade off between the area used by agricultural activities with the area used by the rain forest; b) for the Northeast region, the main concern is the restriction on water use; c) for the Central West region, it is taken into consideration the expansion of the agriculture frontier; d) for the Southeast and South regions, the more industrialized regions, pollutants are a proble

Application of Economic Instruments for Environmental Management: From Theoretical to Practical Constraints: Literature Review and Conceptual Notes

This presentation was commissioned by the Environment Network of the Regional Policy Dialogue for the II Hemispheric Meeting celebrated on February 25th and 26th, 2003. Three distinct criteria: Achievement of the optimal use level: to maximize social welfare achieving an optimum use/pollution level. Improvement of cost-effectiveness: to minimize social costs at a certain use/pollution target. Generation of revenue: to raise enough revenue to meet a certain budget requirement