How can developing countries help environment?

Source: http://www.sciencemag.org

It is very difficult for developing countries to prosper economically while also protecting the environment from serious threats. In the article, Why Environmental Quality is Poor in Developing Countries: A Primer, the author Greenstone and his coauthor Kelsey Jack, an assistant professor at Tufts University, stated that “In many instances, the immediate need to put food on the table outweighs all the benefits an individual could get from efforts to reduce pollution.” This forces those with low income to focus on the short term success instead of long term.

Furthermore when an entire government is very poor and have little control over their people it is difficult to enforce environmental regulations. These country's policymakers aren’t able to collect taxes efficiently and properly in order to make environmental quality investments. Also, these governments offer little property rights to owners and provide no incentive to make long term investments like planting trees or installing energy saving technology. This allows individuals to use any means necessary in order to profit.

Another contributing factor to poor environments in developing nations is when corrupt policymakers put themselves before the people and environment. The article states that, “Corruption and favoring certain groups may cause worthwhile investments in environmental quality to go unmade.” Many of these developing countries are projected to receive the worst impacts from climate change. In order to stop these threats they must convince their people to buy in for the long term, and stop the corrupt individuals that look to profit at others expense.