| As part of the pollution control effort several developing countries have established economic-based initiatives to improve environmental quality. In this study the Colombian water pollution charge, which was implemented in 1997, is analyzed. The two key questions that this study attempts to answer are: (1) Does the performance of the pollution charge program in Colombia undermine the notion that economic instruments are not feasible in developing countries? (2) Which factors determine the performance of the water pollution charge program across regional environmental agencies in Colombia?; The answer to these questions provides valuable information for developing countries looking for more efficient and optimal ways to approach pollution control. These questions are answered through the analysis of data from the first five years of the program's implementation (1997-2002). The data sample is composed of 255 polluters in three representative environmental agencies: CORNARE, CORALINA and CODECHOCO. |
