Protection of the natural environment is undoubtedly one of the most challenging issues during the decades ahead. As the world's population and production per capita will globally continue to grow in the future, further environmental degradation would be expected. The objective of this study is to measure of the environmental degradation magnitude based on picked out indices using a multivariate technique called Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Since the variables known as the environmental technology such as waste management, women, gender issues related to the environment, corruption, democracy, etc. are not available, these variables cannot be used; Therefore, to aim at the study, other variables were selected, such as gross domestic product (GDP), fuel consumption, relative density of population, access to safe water and sewage system, crude mortality and population based on the latest data in 2009. The results showed that principal component vectors approximately fulfill 70% of variations at the level of environmental degradation. GDP per capita and sewage system variables play prominent roles in classifying provinces in terms of environmental degradation degree compared to fuel consumption and population growth variables. Moreover, in the provinces with a high mortality rate, a higher percentage of the population faces with lack of sewage systems, as well as extra GDP with more densely population and consequently a lower level of environmental quality and conversely. According to the results for each province, it is recommended that appropriate environmental strategies, must be adopted to adjust the main degradation variables.
Amirnejad, H., & Salari Bardsiri, M. (2014). Environmental Degradation Measurement Using Principal Component Analysis Technique in Iranian Metropolises. Agricultural Economics, 8(Special Issue), 137-155.
MLA
Hamid Amirnejad; Maryam Salari Bardsiri. "Environmental Degradation Measurement Using Principal Component Analysis Technique in Iranian Metropolises". Agricultural Economics, 8, Special Issue, 2014, 137-155.
HARVARD
Amirnejad, H., Salari Bardsiri, M. (2014). 'Environmental Degradation Measurement Using Principal Component Analysis Technique in Iranian Metropolises', Agricultural Economics, 8(Special Issue), pp. 137-155.
VANCOUVER
Amirnejad, H., Salari Bardsiri, M. Environmental Degradation Measurement Using Principal Component Analysis Technique in Iranian Metropolises. Agricultural Economics, 2014; 8(Special Issue): 137-155.
)