Date: Apr.22^nd, 2019

Time: 15:00-17:00

Speaker: Prof. Euston Quah

Venue: Room 236, School of Economics, Yuquan Campus

[Speaker Intro]

Professor Euston Quah is a professor of environmental economics and cost-benefit analysis at Nanyang Technological University. He is also the president of the Economic Society of Singapore. He is mainly engaged in researches on cost-benefit analysis, environmental economics, and the economics of family law.

【Abstract】

This talk identifies and discusses the five main areas of environmental management public policy that pose serious challenges to Asian governments. The implications are such that if they are not handled properly, the result is unsustainable economic growth, and the likelihood of negative spill-over effects and social strife. The first is the emerging issue of siting environmentally unfriendly facilities that may be necessary for growth, but with the social and environmental costs borne primarily by local host residents and neighborhood municipalities. Examples of such contentious facilities are nuclear power stations, landfills, and incinerators etc. This is known as the NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard) syndrome. The second issue is the critical need for pricing of non-market environmental goods. Quietude, pristine land, biodiversity, heritage preservation, and other environmental goods are often not monetarily valued and are hence over-consumed. The third area of concern is waste generation. As Asian countries prosper, rising affluence results in increased consumption, creating mounting concerns about waste disposal. This is particularly acute for land scarce countries such as Singapore. The fourth area is that of transboundary pollution, which has become increasingly important with regards to its effects on health and foreign relations. Transboundary haze and river contamination are some examples. The last issue is that of global warming and climate change.