The Role of Exports in Manufacturing Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Towards a Better Trade-Environment Governance
This report considers the role of exports in driving pollution in selected manufacturing sectors in four specific countries located in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia.
The report aims to understand how the group of the SMEP target countries located in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) and South Asia have participated in the global trade, specifically investigating the role of trade in manufactured goods. They correspond to thirteen countries, of which ten are in SSA, namely the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia, and three are in South Asia, namely Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Based on the gaps and challenges identified through case studies, the report proposes recommendations for Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Pakistan along with the main three areas of research: (i) Environmental Law and Public Governance, (ii) Private Sector Governance, and (iii) Life Cycle Assessment. Even though at different stages, the four countries are building diversified economies by developing their industrial sectors. As exports play a significant role in their economic growth, those countries gain from more sustainable manufacturing practices.