Partnership building? Government-led NGO participation in China’s grassroots waste governance

Abstract

Faced with the challenges posed by enhancing the performance of national waste management policy, sub-national political authorities in China have engaged with the public and non-state actors, particularly NGOs. Across China’s multi-level administrative governance, different levels of government have consequently committed toward working with NGOs in waste management but the degree of actual participation remains questionable. Therefore, this study aims to assess participative relations between NGOs and neighborhood level governments as an indicator of this newfound national commitment to urban participatory governance. Analysis of three Chinese cities is conducted in order to uncover mechanisms for NGO participation in urban waste management. Each case study reveals different levels of participation: although central, provincial and city governments have displayed a welcoming attitude towards NGO engagement, local authorities have proven less open. Moreover, where NGOs are involved in waste governance, they exhibit some autonomy even while remaining under government control. Such findings can be explained by the motivations of local governments within participatory waste governance.