Pollution Control in the South and North

After surveying the main trends in environmental policy from an international perspective, the authors describe the various environmental policy instruments adopted in India and the Netherlands, their historical evolution and the environmental problems they are intended to solve. These instruments are assessed in terms of effectiveness, administrative burdens, financial costs, and practicality. This analysis is supported by in-depth case studies from the textiles, cement and fertiliser industries of both countries which reveal both the differences and similarities in pollution control policies between the two countries. The book concludes with a number of suggestions for policy improvements. Based on their data, the authors emphasise the role of economic instruments in abating air and water pollution. According to them, economic instruments, more than other policy options, have considerable potential for improving the efficiency of environmental policies. With its unusual comparative framework and wealth of facts and figures relating to environmental policies in both countries, this book will be of considerable interest to environmental scientists and activists, policy makers, economists and industrialists.