Aparna Sawhney, JNU, Delhi
Centre for Development Economics
and
Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics
ANNOUNCE A SEMINAR
Testing for the Waste Haven Effect in India
by
Aparna Sawhney
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Thursday, 5th November 2015 at 3:00 PM
Venue : Seminar Room (First Floor)
Department of Economics, Delhi School of Economics
All are cordially invited
Abstract
India is one of the largest importers of waste in the world, with metallic scrap constituting the bulk of waste imports. While relatively weak environmental standards in developing countries is often seen to be a key factor in the emergence of waste havens in cross-country studies, little attention has been given to examine the pattern of waste trade in a developing country over time. This paper analyzes the factors in the import of ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap in India from a group of 106 developed and developing countries during the period 1996-2012. We test for the waste haven effect after controlling for home market demand and technology. We find that the escalating domestic demand for metal and use of relatively labour-intensive technology are significant factors in Indian metal scrap import, but evidence for a waste haven effect is mixed.