https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/11949 2026-04-14T20:07:51Z 2026-04-14T20:07:51Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/103780 2022-11-18T14:47:01Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The effect of air pollution on property prices in Malta : a hedonic analysis Abstract: Many of the environmental goods we are exposed to are not traded in the market, and their price is not known, thereby imposing severe repercussions on private decisions, making the gap between private and social costs of the environment grow even further. In this dissertation, evidence is presented that Nitrogen Dioxide does have an affect on the value of property prices in Malta. Much publicity has been given to the safeguarding of our air quality and environment but how much is effectively being done about it? Air pollution is becoming a core factor in housing prices and Hedonic Models. More often than not the results seem to be uncertain, and most of the studies carried out to assess the impact of the quality of the environment on house prices were done in the United States; however literature shows that the importance given to air pollution differs considerably in Europe. Air pollution, such as that caused by Nitrogen Dioxide, doesn’t only affect house prices, but it also has spillover effects which can lead to respiratory problems and other health problems. Description: B.COM.(HONS)ECONOMICS

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/103779 2022-11-18T14:42:15Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Is an economy complex or just complicated? Abstract: The study introduces concepts of Complexity Science and Agent Based Modelling as a viable methodology in the study of economic phenomena. The qualitatively dynamic nature of an economy is singled out as a key phenomenon to be investigated. A new model, the Active-Passive Agent Based Model is then built from scratch upon a series of axiomatic statements to construct an artificial economy allowing people and goods to interact. A simulation run of twenty iterations involving 27 agents and 100 goods is computed manually. The result of the simulation run fails to result in persistent qualitative dynamics in the artificial economy but the Active-Passive Agent Based Model is nevertheless shown to be a valuable contribution worth developing further Description: B.COM.(HONS)ECONOMICS

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/72792 2021-04-16T05:06:46Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Adapting to climate change within an informal urban settlement in a least developed country : effects of a foreign aid intervention and policy implications Abstract: Least Developed Countries (LDCs) will be heavily impacted by climate change, and the challenge of fostering their development will be more difficult as a result. Enhancing adaptive capacity has been identified as an essential policy response, especially if integrated with development planning. But what this means for specific communities, such as Informal Urban Settlements (IUSs), is still largely unknown. Lack of data and research capacity remains a major problem. The world’s most impoverished and vulnerable communities are frequently neglected in research on impacts and adaptation. Furthermore, given the interdisciplinary nature of adaptive capacity, there has not been yet a clear identification of a methodological framework capable of operationalising the assessment of adaptive capacity at the local level. This too delays the comprehensive understanding of how specific development interventions can enhance it. This thesis investigates adaptive capacity by proposing a new methodological framework that allows the characterisation and measurement of adaptive capacity at the local level. The context is an IUS in the LDC of Ethiopia. Specifically, the thesis has the objective of assessing whether the impact of a Biogas Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (BWASH) development intervention, inclusive of training, is capable of building adaptive capacity that endures. It is postulated that adaptive capacity can indeed be enhanced with such intervention, with training playing a key role to augment outcomes. In answering this question, and in testing the hypotheses, the thesis additionally identifies a series of factors, key to the assessment of adaptive capacity, and scarcely captured by comparable research in IUSs of LDCs, namely: i. key livelihood resources, defined as the combination of assets required for a means of living; ii. shocks, defined as sudden events over which there is no control, and the correspondent impacts; iii. existing coping strategies to those shocks and the extent of their sustainability; and iv. alternative sustainable coping strategies. The thesis employs a mixed methodology including both qualitative participatory methods and a quantitative (quasi-experimental) assessment of the effect of intervention using matching techniques. The research involves two waves of original data collection, both of which involved household surveys (N=400). Description: PH.D.ECONOMICS

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/12063 2016-09-28T09:38:10Z 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Reducing school traffic congestion in Malta Abstract: This study analyses the economic benefits of a policy suggestion which tackles the issue of traffic congestion in Malta, through a Cost-Benefit Analysis. This policy consists of extending the free provision of transport to school children attending independent and church schools while ensuring that children are picked up at a reasonable time and that on-board supervision would be present. This dissertation makes use of primary data collected through survey questionnaires, which were an important part of forecasting the demand for the policy suggestion. Thereafter, this paper engages in the calculation of four separate economic benefits namely the savings in time for parents, the fuel saved by parents, and the net reduction in climate change inducing emissions as well as air pollutants. A cost-calculation exercise regarding the yearly operational cost of the school transport was carried out so as to have a complete Benefit-Cost comparison. The results obtained show a remarkably positive Benefit-Cost ratio, implying that the introduction of free school transport for independent and church school children would be beneficial for society. The major reduction in economic costs was associated with the direct costs of time and fuel. These two categories of economic benefits encompassed both idle and non-idle time components. The idle or congestion-related components inflated the benefits by a significant percentage, further increasing the justification for organised school transport. This study also reveals that due to the acute traffic congestion situation in Malta, good policies introduced to alleviate traffic go a very long way in reducing the economic costs. Transport nowadays is so interwoven in the fabric of civilisation that Governments should look beyond the Financial Net Present Value calculation and focus on increasing overall economic benefits to the society. Description: B.COM.(HONS)ECONOMICS

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z