IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i22p9519-d445594.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Developing an Environmental Justice Index for Small Island States: The Case of Malta

Author

Listed:
  • Maria-Stella Portelli

    (Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta)

  • Elisabeth Conrad

    (Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta)

  • Charles Galdies

    (Institute of Earth Systems, University of Malta, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta)

Abstract

By focusing predominantly on cities or larger regions, environmental justice (EJ) studies have tended to overlook the challenges faced by small island states. This study explores the feasibility of constructing an EJ index for Malta, as a case study of these territories. EJ issues were identified by consulting relevant literature and local experts. Based on this, five environmental variables (air pollution, noise pollution, lack of greenery, overcrowding and overdevelopment, and proximity to locally unwanted land uses) and three social variables (education, unemployment, and health) were selected for inclusion in the index. For the identified variables, indicators were chosen and calculated for each locality, while using a Geographic Information System to process and visualize spatial data. Cumulative environmental burden and social vulnerability scores were calculated based on quintile ranking of indicators. After normalization, cumulative scores were aggregated to derive the EJ index. The preliminary evaluation of EJ distribution in Malta demonstrated significant spatial differences. A statistically significant positive correlation of moderate strength between cumulative environmental burden and social vulnerability scores showed that EJ issues are present in Malta, notwithstanding its small size. Despite limitations, this exploratory index provides a basis for further EJ research in small island states.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria-Stella Portelli & Elisabeth Conrad & Charles Galdies, 2020. "Developing an Environmental Justice Index for Small Island States: The Case of Malta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9519-:d:445594
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9519/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9519/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Evan J. Ringquist, 2005. "Assessing evidence of environmental inequities: A meta-analysis," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(2), pages 223-247.
    2. Laurent, Éloi, 2011. "Issues in environmental justice within the European Union," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(11), pages 1846-1853, September.
    3. Benedict W Wheeler, 2004. "Health-Related Environmental Indices and Environmental Equity in England and Wales," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(5), pages 803-822, May.
    4. Jason Corburn & Alison K Cohen, 2012. "Why We Need Urban Health Equity Indicators: Integrating Science, Policy, and Community," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-6, August.
    5. Salvatore Greco & Alessio Ishizaka & Menelaos Tasiou & Gianpiero Torrisi, 2019. "On the Methodological Framework of Composite Indices: A Review of the Issues of Weighting, Aggregation, and Robustness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(1), pages 61-94, January.
    6. Godfrey Baldacchino, 2004. "The Coming Of Age Of Island Studies," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 95(3), pages 272-283, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mariateresa Ciommi & Chiara Gigliarano & Francesco M. Chelli & Mauro Gallegati, 2022. "It is the Total that Does [Not] Make the Sum: Nature, Economy and Society in the Equitable and Sustainable Well-Being of the Italian Provinces," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(2), pages 491-522, June.
    2. Rajko Tomaš, 2022. "Measurement of the Concentration of Potential Quality of Life in Local Communities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 79-109, August.
    3. Éloi Laurent, 2012. "Pour une justice environnementale européenne. Le cas de la précarité énergétique," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(1), pages 99-120.
    4. Greco, Salvatore & Ishizaka, Alessio & Tasiou, Menelaos & Torrisi, Gianpiero, 2018. "σ-µ efficiency analysis: A new methodology for evaluating units through composite indices," MPRA Paper 83569, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Fusco, Elisa, 2023. "Potential improvements approach in composite indicators construction: The Multi-directional Benefit of the Doubt model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    6. Khatab Alqararah, 2023. "Assessing the robustness of composite indicators: the case of the Global Innovation Index," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, December.
    7. Samy Katumba & Julia Kadt & Mark Orkin & Paul Fatti, 2022. "Construction of a Reflective Quality of Life Index for Gauteng Province in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 373-408, November.
    8. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7cu18nukj78u8bq89s295bup4f is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Collins, Timothy W. & Nadybal, Shawna & Grineski, Sara E., 2020. "Sonic injustice: Disparate residential exposures to transport noise from road and aviation sources in the continental United States," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    10. Ewa Roszkowska & Bartłomiej Jefmański, 2021. "Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Synthetic Measure (I-VIFSM) Based on Hellwig’s Approach in the Analysis of Survey Data," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-17, January.
    11. Zhaohua Zhang & Derrick Robinson & Diane Hite, 2018. "Racial Residential Segregation: Measuring Location Choice Attributes of Environmental Quality and Self-Segregation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-20, April.
    12. Danae Hernandez-Cortes & Kyle C. Meng & Paige Weber, 2022. "Decomposing Trends in US Air Pollution Disparities from Electricity," NBER Chapters, in: Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, volume 4, pages 91-124, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Aubert, Diane & Chiroleu-Assouline, Mireille, 2019. "Environmental tax reform and income distribution with imperfect heterogeneous labour markets," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 60-82.
    14. José Manuel Cabello & Francisco Ruiz & Blanca Pérez-Gladish, 2021. "An Alternative Aggregation Process for Composite Indexes: An Application to the Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 153(2), pages 443-467, January.
    15. Tsionas, Mike G., 2020. "A note on Sigma–Mu efficiency analysis as a methodology for evaluating units through composite indicators," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 286(3), pages 1187-1196.
    16. Giannis Karagiannis & Suzanna M. Paleologou, 2021. "A regression-based improvement to the multiple criteria ABC inventory classification analysis," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 306(1), pages 369-382, November.
    17. Deborah F Shmueli, 2008. "Environmental Justice in the Israeli Context," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(10), pages 2384-2401, October.
    18. Gulati, Rachita & Kattumuri, Ruth & Kumar, Sunil, 2020. "A non-parametric index of corporate governance in the banking industry: An application to Indian data," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    19. Neal D. Woods, 2021. "The State of State Environmental Policy Research: A Thirty‐Year Progress Report," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 38(3), pages 347-369, May.
    20. Gary S. Young & Mary A. Fox & Michael Trush & Norma Kanarek & Thomas A. Glass & Frank C. Curriero, 2012. "Differential Exposure to Hazardous Air Pollution in the United States: A Multilevel Analysis of Urbanization and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-22, June.
    21. Hanneke Kruize & Mariël Droomers & Irene Van Kamp & Annemarie Ruijsbroek, 2014. "What Causes Environmental Inequalities and Related Health Effects? An Analysis of Evolving Concepts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9519-:d:445594. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.