A threefold empirical analysis of the relationship between regional income inequality and water equity using Tapio decou
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
A threefold empirical analysis of the relationship between regional income inequality and water equity using Tapio decoupling model, WPAT equation, and the local dissimilarity index: evidence from Bulgaria Asli Tasbasi 1 Received: 23 March 2020 / Accepted: 13 September 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract This study utilizes a threefold empirical analysis in order to examine the relationship between income and water equity in Bulgaria, the fastest shrinking country in the world in terms of population, and the most unequal member of the EU in terms of regional income distribution. First, in line with this goal, the income elasticity of regional water demand in the country is calculated using the Tapio decoupling model. Second, the WPAT equation which measures the weighted impacts of population, per capita income and intensity on water demand, is utilized. And finally, using the local dissimilarity index, spatial differences in access to water by region are measured. Underscoring the essence of regional level analyses based on specific decomposed subgroups, findings are thus compatible with the economic and demographic characteristics of the regions handled in the study. In the northern regions where income and population levels are relatively low, during periods when income and water demand both increase, the rise in water demand is usually higher than the increase in income; conversely, when income decreases, the water demand also falls. The effect of population dominates the changes in water demand in the northern regions, with the exception of the Northwestern Region, where water intensity is the leading factor, possibly because the Balkans’ largest nuclear power plant is located in the region. In the southern regions where income is higher, income has been the most important determinant of water demand, particularly in recent years. Keywords Water equity . Tapio decoupling model . WPAT equation . Local dissimilarity index . Bulgaria
Introduction Water equity entails universal access to safe, sufficient, and affordable water. In a world of increasing population, rising global income inequality, environmental degradation, and depleting water resources, it is of utmost importance to consider the extent to which water equity can be achieved. While making this assessment, however, global figures may be misleading, as they portray a general picture of the situation, and therefore may mask inequality. For instance, the data confirm that around 200 million Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues * Asli Tasbasi [email protected] 1
Department of Economics, Isik University, Mesrutiyet Koyu, Universite Sk. Sile, 34980 Istanbul, Turkey
people have gained access to clean drinking water between 2006 and 2016. Nevertheless, aside from this overall “gain,” in Sub Saharan Africa, the number of people reliant on unsafe water increased by 60 million between 1990 and 2010. Water inequity is even more striking when decomposed into income groups in the region. The poorest
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