Examination of the relationship between Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis and income distribution: Fragile five

Environmental pollution continues to exist as an important problem in today's world. The gradual growth of the country's economies and the increasing need for resources occupy an important place among the causes of environmental pollution. The Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis in the economics literature can explain the relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution and provide a roadmap for the economic development process. The course of the hypothesis, which presents a kind of exchange relationship, is shaped by various factors. Demand for goods and services that increase environmental quality is considered as one of these factors. In economies where income is not evenly distributed, the demand for goods and services that increase environmental quality may be interrupted differently from the expected course, and the transformation predicted by the hypothesis may be adversely affected. In this context, the main purpose of the thesis is to investigate the relationship between the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis and income distribution for fragile five countries. The research was carried out using panel data econometrics methods between the years 1995-2020. As a result of the study, it was observed that the hypothesis is valid for fragile five countries. In the relationship of the hypothesis with income distribution, it has been concluded that the improvements in income distribution with economic growth reduce environmental pollution.