Shared waters - Shared responsibility. Application of the principles of fairness for burden sharing in the Mediterranean

The paper addresses the issue of burden sharing within the context of the Barcelona Convention for the protection of the Mediterranean. The initial premise is that the perceived fairness of burden sharing rules is an important factor in the success of multilateral environmental agreements. We review briefly the basic ideas behind the fairness and equity debate in global environmental affairs before we apply a number of widely accepted equity rules in the case of Mediterranean marine protection. We derive arithmetic examples to illustrate the application of the rules and compare them in terms of their political attractiveness, cost-effectiveness and practical feasibility. It is shown that the simple rule of egalitarian justice scores high on all aspects

Social preferences for improving water quality: An economic analysis of benefits from wastewater treatment

Greece has a large number of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) under construction or recently completed. However, whilst the European Union provides funds for the capital development of WWTPs, there is often a lack of funding to maintain full operation of these plants. This study examines the case of a WWTP in Thessaloniki, Greece, which is currently only partially operational. We use the contingent valuation method to examine the willingness to pay of individuals to ensure the full operation of the WWTP, leading to significant improvements in the water quality of Thermaikos Bay, which is adjacent to Thessaloniki. The average amount pledged of ∈15.23 due every four months as an incremental increase in water rates matches the funding required to fully operate the plant. By examining the motivations of those willing to pay, we find that a complex combination of consumer and citizen modes of cognition, linked to self identity and pride in the city as well as moral and ethical concerns, determine individuals' commitment to the water quality improvement scheme. These findings have serious policy implications for gauging public support for environmental improvements

Integrating stakeholder analysis in non-market valuation of environmental assets

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:3490.1797(2000/22) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo