SOCIAL CAPITAL AND AIR POLLUTION: EVIDENCE FROM TURKEY

Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 1152 - 1173, 29.07.2022

Munise Ilıkkan Özgür , Cuma Demirtaş

https://doi.org/10.30798/makuiibf.1033458

Abstract

This study analyses the impact of social capital on air pollution in all 81 cities of Turkey between 2008 and 2018 via utilizing the panel data method to test for the EKC hypothesis. Within this context, five panel groups are formed, where four of those are formulated vis-à-vis their socioeconomic development levels by taking into account the SEGE report issued by the Ministry of Development. Moreover a city-based social capital index is developed by utilizing the principal component analysis (PCA). Empirical findings show that a U-shaped income-emission relationship is prevalent in Turkey, whereas no significant income-emission interdependency exists within the aforementioned panel groups developed. In addition, it is deduced that population density is a pre-determinant of the rise in air pollution for all panel groups studied, while the hypothesis that social capital index has a significant impact on the latter variable is rejected. It is expected that this work will contribute to the existing literature through its investigation of the impact of social capital index structured via taking into account the cities’ socioeconomic development levels on air pollution. The dataset used has a significant lack of observations for certain cities, so it would be valuable to formulate advanced technical modeling by creating a more complete dataset. Also, various other proxies explaining environmental degradation such as water pollution can be included in the model.

Keywords

Air Pollution, Panel Data, Social Capital.

SOSYAL SERMAYE VE HAVA KİRLİLİĞİ: TÜRKİYE'DEN KANITLAR

Abstract

Bu çalışma, EKC hipotezi kapsamında Türkiye’de 81 ilde 2008-2018 yıllarına ait sosyal sermaye değişkeninin hava kirliliği üzerine etkisini panel veri yöntemiyle analiz etmiştir. Çalışmada beş panel grubu oluşturulmuştur. Panel gruplarından dördü Kalkınma Bakanlığı’nın yayınladığı SEGE raporu dikkate alınarak sosyo-ekonomik gelişmişlik düzeylerine göre yapılmıştır. Ayrıca çalışmada temel bileşenler analiz (PCA) tekniği kullanılarak il bazında sosyal sermaye endeksi oluşturulmuştur. Ampirik bulgular Türkiye geneli için U şekilli gelir-emisyon ilişkisinin geçerli olduğunu göstermektedir. Buna karşın sosyo-ekonomik gelişmişlik düzeylerine göre oluşturulan panel gruplarında herhangi bir gelir-emisyon ilişkisine rastlanmamıştır. Bunun yanında bütün panel grupları için nüfus yoğunluğunun hava kirliliğinin artmasında belirleyici olduğu saptanmıştır. Çalışmanın amacını oluşturan sosyal sermaye endeksinin hava kirliliği üzerine etkisi bulunamamıştır. Çalışmanın illerin sosyo-ekonomik gelişmişlik düzeylerini dikkate alarak oluşturulan sosyal sermaye endeksiyle hava kirliliği üzerine etkiyi incelemesi bakımından literatüre katkı sunması beklenmektedir. Kullanılan veri seti belirli şehirler için önemli ölçüde gözlem eksikliği taşımaktadır, bu nedenle daha eksiksiz bir veri seti oluşturularak ileri teknik modellemenin formüle edilmesi değerli olacaktır. Ayrıca, su kirliliği gibi çevresel bozulmayı açıklayan çeşitli diğer vekiller modele dahil edilebilir.

Keywords

Hava Kirliliği, Panel Veri, Sosyal Sermaye.

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