How Urbanization and Globalization Affect Turkey's Air Quality Over Time

What is it about?

The study investigates the impact of urban population growth and economic globalization on air quality in Turkey from 1970 to 2017, using GDP and electricity consumption as additional variables. It employs a dynamic autoregressive-distributed lag (DARDL) approach, revealing a long-term cointegration among the factors. Results indicate urbanization affects carbon emissions significantly both short and long-term, whereas economic globalization raises emissions by 0.15% in the long run, suggesting it is more critical for environmental costs than urbanization. GDP and electricity consumption also contribute to increased emissions in both short and long runs. While negative shocks in urbanization and globalization reduce emissions short-term, the CO2 response stabilizes long-term, with GDP shocks having an opposite effect.

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Photo by Andy Bridge on Unsplash

Photo by Andy Bridge on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is significant because it explores the impact of urbanization and economic globalization on air quality in Turkey, highlighting the environmental costs associated with these socio-economic processes. The study employs a novel approach, the dynamic autoregressive-distributed lag (DARDL) method, to analyze the long-term relationship between carbon emissions and various economic factors, providing valuable insights into the drivers of environmental degradation. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers aiming to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability, especially in rapidly urbanizing and globalizing contexts like Turkey. The findings underscore the importance of integrating environmental considerations into economic and urban planning to mitigate the adverse effects of globalization and urbanization on air quality. Key Takeaways: 1. Urbanization and Carbon Emissions: The study finds that urbanization in Turkey affects carbon emissions significantly in both the short and long term, although economic globalization is a more critical factor influencing environmental costs. 2. Role of Globalization: Economic globalization is shown to increase carbon emissions by about 0.15% in the long run, indicating that globalization poses a significant challenge to maintaining air quality and necessitates strategic interventions. 3. Impact of GDP and Electricity Consumption: Both GDP growth and electricity consumption contribute to increased carbon emissions, emphasizing the need for sustainable energy practices and economic policies that consider environmental impacts alongside economic objectives.