|
|
|
Policy paper 1
Policy paper 2
Policy paper 3
Policy paper 4
Policy paper 5
Policy paper 6
Policy paper 7
Policy paper 8
Policy paper 9
Policy paper 10
Policy paper 11
Policy paper 12
Policy paper 13
Policy paper 14
Paper No. (1)
Development and Environment: the impact of globalization
of free trade on the environment in Jordan
This paper discusses the effect of global trade liberalization
on the Jordanian environment in particular via specifying
the potential effects resulting from the signing of
the free trade agreement between Jordan and the USA,
and before that Jordan's admission to the World Trade
Organization and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
The paper traces the appearance of the trade-environment
dichotomy first from the demonstrations in Seattle in
1999 and analysis the environmental anti-globalization
thoughts which was based on six main issues, the effect
of WTO rules on Multilateral environmental agreements
and national environmental standards, natural resource
utilization, establishment of " pollution havens", genetically
modified organisms, biopiracy and intellectual property
rights.
Moreover, the paper discusses the environmental features
of the Jordan-USA free trade agreement and the importance
of having environmental provisions within the official
text of the agreement. The paper presents also the main
potential effects of implementing the free trade agreement
on Jordanian environment focusing on institutional and
legislative framework, water resource exploitation,
natural resources, air quality, solid and hazardous
wastes, energy resources, marine resources, land use
and technology transfer.
The paper perceives globalization as a chance to improve
the environmental situation in Jordan via implementing
environmental reforms mainly by establishing a specialized
and technical Ministry of Environment that has credibility
and political power. Other reforms suggested by the
paper include: Participation of civil society representatives,
enhancing effective enforcement and environmental monitoring,
enhancing investment in environmentally sound technologies,
preventing transfer of polluting industries under the
objectives of investment, enhancing analytical skills
in environmental economics and encouraging the private
sector to implement environmental management plans by
a system of incentives.
Back to Policy Papers
|
