World polity, unequal ecological exchange, and organic water pollution: A cross-national analysis of developing nations

There has been a growth in international organizations concerned with environmental matters. These organizations include international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), and environmental treaties. This article presents cross-national models examining the effects of these organizations on organic water pollution per capita. In doing so, we use lagged dependent variable panel regression models for a sample of 56 developing nations. We find substantial support for world polity hypotheses that these organizations reduce organic water pollution in developing nations. We also find support for unequal ecological exchange theory that exports from poor nations to wealthy nations increase water pollution. We conclude with a brief discussion of the findings and directions for future research.