{"title":"Examining the hidden effects of democracy and natural sources on ecological footprint in South Africa: Fourier NARDL approach","authors":"Umut Uzar , Kemal Eyuboglu","doi":"10.1016/j.resourpol.2025.105573","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite a significant body of literature examining the drivers of environmental degradation, non-traditional political and economic factors have not been thoroughly investigated. In this context, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the asymmetric effects of less-studied factors such as democracy and natural resources. The key research question addressed by this study is: How do democracy and natural resources, as political and economic factors, impact the ecological footprint in South Africa? To answer this question, this study investigates the potential hidden impacts of democracy and natural resources on the ecological footprint in South Africa for the period 1970–2021 using the Fourier Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (FNARDL) model. This study thus positions itself as a pioneering work in examining the determinants of ecological pressure using the FNARDL method. While findings from the ARDL model indicate that these factors are statistically insignificant, the FNARDL model reveals that democracy and natural resources significantly reduce the ecological footprint under structural breaks. Furthermore, it has been found that economic growth, urbanization, and energy consumption positively impact the ecological footprint. These findings help inform policy by clarifying the complex links between politics, economics, and environmental sustainability in South Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20970,"journal":{"name":"Resources Policy","volume":"103 ","pages":"Article 105573"},"PeriodicalIF":10.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Resources Policy","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420725001151","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Despite a significant body of literature examining the drivers of environmental degradation, non-traditional political and economic factors have not been thoroughly investigated. In this context, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the asymmetric effects of less-studied factors such as democracy and natural resources. The key research question addressed by this study is: How do democracy and natural resources, as political and economic factors, impact the ecological footprint in South Africa? To answer this question, this study investigates the potential hidden impacts of democracy and natural resources on the ecological footprint in South Africa for the period 1970–2021 using the Fourier Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (FNARDL) model. This study thus positions itself as a pioneering work in examining the determinants of ecological pressure using the FNARDL method. While findings from the ARDL model indicate that these factors are statistically insignificant, the FNARDL model reveals that democracy and natural resources significantly reduce the ecological footprint under structural breaks. Furthermore, it has been found that economic growth, urbanization, and energy consumption positively impact the ecological footprint. These findings help inform policy by clarifying the complex links between politics, economics, and environmental sustainability in South Africa.
期刊介绍:
Resources Policy is an international journal focused on the economics and policy aspects of mineral and fossil fuel extraction, production, and utilization. It targets individuals in academia, government, and industry. The journal seeks original research submissions analyzing public policy, economics, social science, geography, and finance in the fields of mining, non-fuel minerals, energy minerals, fossil fuels, and metals. Mineral economics topics covered include mineral market analysis, price analysis, project evaluation, mining and sustainable development, mineral resource rents, resource curse, mineral wealth and corruption, mineral taxation and regulation, strategic minerals and their supply, and the impact of mineral development on local communities and indigenous populations. The journal specifically excludes papers with agriculture, forestry, or fisheries as their primary focus.