Shadow Economy and its Role in Control of Environmental Damages of MENA Countries

One of the major concerns for the future of human is living conditions on Earth. Environmental degradation by humans has caused to climate change in addition to vast reduction of natural resources. Recognition of environmental problems and factors is the first step in maintaining desirable biological conditions. Accordingly, in present study, was investigated the effect of shadow economy on environmental pressures and also the role of political and administrative corruption level in this regard. For this purpose, the pressure on nature was measured by sum of energy, mineral, net forest depletions and carbon dioxide damage. Also, panel data of 15 MENA countries from 1999 to 2013 were used to test this relationship. The result showed that relationship between the shadow economy and the environmental pressure is positive and significant. As, a 1% increase in the size of shadow economy increases the pressure on nature to 3.19%. Also, the result showed that the relationship between the size of shadow economy and the pressure on nature are dependent on the levels of countries corruption, so that increase in the corruption level increases the effect of shadow economy on environmental pressures. Therefore, production in the shadow economy of countries causes failure to comply environmental regulations by firms and increase of environmental pressures.