Effects of Information on Environmental Quality in Developing Countries

How does information on environmental risks obtained by individuals in developing countries affect environmental quality? The literature reveals that for issues like water quality and pesticides, information affects individual behavior and risks are reduced through individual action. However, even if information were to become widely available in developing countries, unless regulation is also strengthened, environmental risks will remain at high levels relative to developed countries. While education appears to raise the demand for environmental quality, there is no systematic developing-country evidence that this demand translates into increased supply through the political process and government regulation. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.