Public Participation In Environmental Management Research Articles

Information disclosure and public participation in environmental management: Evidence from the river chief system in China

This paper evaluates the River Chief System (RCS), an institutional innovation in river governance. The RCS mandates government disclosure of administrative responsibilities and invites public supervision. Our model expands the traditional public goods theory to a discrete choice application, highlighting the mechanism of RCS that can potentially lead to outcomes closer to the social optimal. Using resident questionnaires from Shanghai, our empirical analyses confirm improved water quality under the RCS. Moreover, we find that information disclosure increases residents' willingness and active involvement in river management, which implies a critical mechanism that may help maintain the long-term effectiveness of environmental policies.

Attitudes of Young People Towards Lakes as a Premise for Their Public Participation in Environmental Management

Lake protection is a very important element of environmental management. This is especially true of lake districts, where the lakes are an important resting place for residents, especially young people. The crucial is the question whether young people who participate in lake management in the future, are ready for it. It was assumed that their attitude towards lakes would be an indicator of such preparation. This study aimed to define a set of respondents’ features that may condition the specific model of participation. Based on the research conducted among young residents (N = 167) of the Szczecinecki District in Poland, it was found that their pro-environmental attitudes were dominated by high values of the traits that make up the emotional component, average values of the cognitive component and the lowest values of activity. The lower the score of the overall attitude, the more often the respondents chose Recreational Lakes, rather than General Development or Natural Lakes. The most important feature that may determine the level of participation in the future is readiness to act. A comprehensive attitude index was created, which shows that it is worth examining the characteristics of respondents that correlate with the willingness to act, i.e., knowledge, logical thinking, creativity and belief in the effectiveness of actions taken and attachment to the place of residence, when planning participatory management in lakeland areas.

Investigating the factors underlying participation by the Chinese public in environmental management: an approach based on spatial heterogeneity.

Public participation in environmental management (PPEM) in China has become increasingly prominent; thus, investigating the factors that underlie participation by the Chinese public in environmental management is important. To this end, we adopted unique data for PPEM, which was measured based on environmental complaints logged by the telephone hotline set up by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China. We observed that PPEM greatly varied from one city to another, indicating significant spatial heterogeneity. In addition, complaints were mainly concentrated in four large regions, namely, the North China Plain, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration. Next, a newly developed spatial heterogeneity analysis method, namely, geographical detector, was applied to investigate the driving factors of PPEM. From the factor detector analysis results, we confirmed that the economic level, energy consumption, urban population, college-educated population, wastewater, environmental risk, SO2 emissions, and PM2.5 concentrations were the dominant factors that caused citizens to voice environmental complaints. In addition, we noticed that moderately developed cities were the leading risk areas, which indicated that these cities had serious environmental pollution problems and their citizens actively voiced complaints. As economies continue to grow, the populations in these cities are projected to become more aware of environmental quality and will implement stricter regulations to protect the environment and lower complaints. Moreover, the interaction detector analysis results revealed that the interaction of urban and college-educated populations with other factors played more important roles in affecting PPEM.

The effect of motivation for public participation in environmental management

The increase of population in Indonesia resulted in population density becomes larger. It is one of the factors in the emergence of slum settlements, especially in urban areas. The existence of slums is related to poor environmental sanitation facilities. Environmental sanitation is one of the environmental managements. Environmental management efforts can be successful if the community is willing to participate. However, until now, the level of community participation, especially those living in slum areas, is still relatively low. One of the reasons is the lack of motivation in the community to carry out environmental management. Therefore, it is essential to know the factors that cause community motivation still at low level. This study aims to verify if motivation has impact to community participation in environmental management. The method is with literature study from articles that relevant to the topic. It results that motivation is an encouragement that supports participation. The dominant motivational factor is internal factors. In addition, the factors of knowledge, social, and economic are also influence the level of motivation.

Analysis of Multi-Stakeholders’ Behavioral Strategies Considering Public Participation under Carbon Taxes and Subsidies: An Evolutionary Game Approach

Considering public participation in environmental management, we developed a tripartite game model among governments, manufacturers and publics under carbon taxes and subsidies to investigate whether the mutual relationship between governments and the public can urge manufacturers to adopt low-carbon technology by examining the interaction effect among the multi-stakeholders. In this study, we focus on manufactured products without significant low-carbon peculiarity. For these products, consumers have no way to identify which are from low-carbon production and which are not. The results show that governments and the public have a complementary and coordinating relationship indeed. The regulation cost of governments, the supervision reward for the public and the supervision cost of the public can all influence the behavioral strategies among the multi-stakeholders, including governments, manufacturers and the public. With the regulation cost strengthens dramatically, governments can consider increasing the supervision reward to support the public to participate in the management of manufacturers’ behaviors. Publics should also actively improve their management ability, and the low cost of public participation in supervision is an effective reflection to make up for the lack of government regulation. The implementation of carbon taxes is more advantageous in urging low-carbon manufacturing than government subsidies for low-carbon production. A complete carbon label system can reflect the low-carbon preferences of consumers to help manufacturers integrate low-carbon behavior into their operational decisions.

The logics, paths, and effects of public participation in environmental management

The logics, paths, and effects of public participation in environmental management

An Analysis of the Public Participation in Environmental Management in the Era of “Internet+”

An Analysis of the Public Participation in Environmental Management in the Era of “Internet+”

Forming perceptions and the limits to public participation on ocean commons: evidence from a citizens jury workshop

This article presents data from a citizens jury-inspired deliberative workshop held to tease out stakeholder views of management priorities for a section of the North Sea: the Dogger Bank. As this article reveals, the lessons learned from the Dogger Bank workshop advocate not simply what is required for managing one particular ocean commons, but also highlight some of the public participation research design failings, taking public participation in resource management further by adding to the literature and theoretical discussions on the public sphere. Analysis of the citizens jury-inspired deliberative workshop also highlights the critical issue of power inherent, yet often unacknowledged, in public participation in environmental management. Stakeholder opinions uncovered through workshop discussions also show how commons are viewed today – as an economic resource-- highlighting the trend of the mainstreaming of the commodification of the commons.

PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT DALAM PENGELOLAAN LINGKUNGAN LAHAN PEKARANGAN DI KELURAHAN LOKTABAT UTARA KOTA BANJARBARU

Research on community participation in environmental management through the use of this resource is very interesting to study. This is caused by the narrowness of the courtyard area of the existing Village North Loktabat housing. The purpose of this study were: 1) Determine the level of public participation in environmental management through the use of yard area, 2) identify the relationship between community participation with social variables (education, age, occupation, and income), cultural (customary), information, counseling, long living, and home ownership status in environmental management through the use of yard area. This research was conducted by survey method. The results showed that the North Loktabat village community, whether it is located in residential areas independently (villages) and also in the complex area has a high level of participation in the management of yard area. Based on the research also shows that social and cultural variables do not have a close relationship with participation. Variables such as information, counseling, long settled and the status of home ownership have a strong relationship with participation in environmental management of their yards.

Environmental governance and public participation in rural China

This article investigates participatory environmental management in rural China. It first summarizes the extent, role and key drivers of public participation in environmental politics in China. It then investigates main scenarios of interaction between the Chinese public and the state, in order to assess the array of possibilities for political participation in environmental matters. This comparative study of public participation in environmental management focuses on grass-roots initiatives that point to increasing public enthusiasm for policymaking processes. The article concludes that participatory practices have impacted significantly upon environmental governance by facilitating implementation and bettering policy and, to a certain extent, legitimizing the discretion of environmental protection agencies. The article also indicates that grass-roots deliberative participation has successfully achieved its goal of improving the provision of social services and public goods. While the government’s initial approach was to improve policy implementation without triggering political contestation, at grass-roots level this strategy has created a sense of political awareness.

Public participation in environmental management in China: status quo and mode innovation.

Public participation in environmental management is critically important in the development of a healthy environmental governance system. However, public participation has not been well institutionalized in China and the public's role in environmental management is limited. Chinese policy-makers and researchers currently face a dilemma wherein they must determine how to fully and effectively involve the public. This paper aims to contribute an innovative approach that can effectively engage the general public, allowing them to participate more in China's environmental management. In this paper, we first review the current status of environmental management and public participation in China. Based on China's political and socio-cultural-legal dynamics, an Environmental Community Consultative Group (ECCG) was developed to be an innovative means to engage community members. A pilot study of the ECCG was carried out in Yapu village of Changzhou City in Jiangsu Province. The evaluation of the process and outcome of the ECCG showed that the group's effectiveness and influence were significant; the ECCG model was a powerful means by which to promote public environmental awareness, improve public environmental behavior and facilitate public engagement in environmental management. But the ECCG is a small local group that may not function well regarding more complex issues covering a much larger area and has limited impact on environmental policy making. The ECCG experience offers the prospect of grassroots involvement in environmental protection for China's rural areas, while also laying the foundation for further research on community participation in environmental management.

Pengaruh Lama Tinggal terhadap Tingkat Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pengelolaan Lingkungan Permukiman

As the activities grow increasingly at Soekarno-hatta International Airport, the government in this case is PT Angkasa Pura needs to extend the airport by develop phase three in northern area of the existing airport. However, the expantion plan is opposed by the local goverment of Tangerang City because the plan may interfere with project of Tangerang Pantura Development Plan. For instead local goverment of Tangerang City proposes that the expantion would be build in the southern area. Obtaining the description of citizen attitude in this area is the aim of this study. This study is a descriptive research using a descriptive statistical analysis. Data collection using interviews with a questionnaire to respondends. By using Sherry Arnstein theory to measure the level of community participation. The analysis results indicated that the level of knowledge, awareness, and income levels affect the level of public participation in environmental management. Forms of participation provided most of the funds appropriated in the form of donations by income level.

Public Participation and Perceptions of Watershed Modeling

Public participation in environmental management is increasingly common across many natural resource sectors. Environmental policies in the water resources sector, in particular, depend upon both computer-based watershed modeling activities and public participation in watershed management decisions, though the integration of participation in watershed modeling remains uncommon. Case studies of two watershed councils in Central New York offer differing perspectives on the effectiveness of public participation in modeling efforts as a mechanism for improving environmental conditions in watersheds. Although watershed modeling is improved from public input in the forms of local knowledge and data contributions, care must be taken at the outset to ensure that public participants appreciate what modeling can and cannot provide so that modeling activities are best able to inform watershed management decisions. A critical assessment of three A's of public participation in watershed modeling (e.g., model applicability, accessibility and accuracy) should be undertaken prior to model development.

Public Participation and Environmental Impact Assessment in Mainland China and Taiwan: Political Foundations of Environmental Management

What role can public participation play in environmental management? Among major tools for environmental management, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been widely practised in many countries. Its effectiveness, however, varies depending on the extent to which transparency and public participation are incorporated in its process. In this article, we analyse the role of public participation in environmental management by examining the operation of EIAs in two polities, Mainland China and Taiwan. In both cases, a lack of transparency and public participation had severely limited the effectiveness of EIA during the initial years when it was first introduced. Both polities have attempted to address the respective limitations of their EIA systems, and both have made some progress while encountering problems inherent in their underlying political institutions. The two cases illustrate the dynamic connections between political institutions and environmental management in developing countries.

Everything happens somewhere: using webGIS as a tool for sustainable natural resource management

Whether tracking invasive species, assessing water quality, or monitoring the spread of disease, comprehensive data collection is a key component of sustainable natural resource management. Increasingly, fostering community-based monitoring is seen as a valuable way to augment data gathering and enhance public involvement in environmental management. However, growing quantities of data and increasing interest from the public and decision makers create technical data storage and access issues. Although not yet widely used in natural resource management, Web-based Geographic Information Systems (webGIS), a hybrid of GIS and Internet technologies, are a promising option for entering and storing heterogeneous datasets, indexed by location, and making them widely available in a visual, dynamic, and interactive format. Although webGIS has the potential to increase public participation in environmental management, there are technical, institutional, and social challenges to its implementation and usage that need to be addressed, including differential Internet access, training, and privacy.

Applying local knowledge: the contribution of oral history to wetland rehabilitation at Kanyapella Basin, Australia

Local knowledge of the history and ecology of wetland ecosystems can be a valuable resource in wetland rehabilitation projects. This is especially the case when other historical ecological information is unavailable. As well as providing a source of historical information, time spent acquiring local knowledge can enhance public participation in environmental management and facilitate early conflict resolution between stakeholders and the community. This paper investigates the use of oral history as a tool to collate a history of the flooding, ecology and management of Kanyapella Basin, a 2581 ha wetland on the floodplain of the Murray and Goulburn Rivers, Australia. Interviews were held with nine local residents and 11 natural resource managers. Oral history proved an effective way to obtain information about changes in the frequency and distribution of flood events over the last 60 years. Observations of rare and threatened fauna, and comments regarding the success of past management were also recorded. Results from the oral history have been used to direct ecological research and develop alternative management options at Kanyapella Basin. In addition to its use in gathering ecological information, oral history also proved effective in enabling the values and concerns of local community and stakeholders to be articulated, increasing managers' understanding of the social context of the particular locality, which is fundamental to sound environmental decision-making.

Water issues in comprehensive municipal planning: a review of the Motala River Basin

Local knowledge of the history and ecology of wetland ecosystems can be a valuable resource in wetland rehabilitation projects. This is especially the case when other historical ecological information is unavailable. As well as providing a source of historical information, time spent acquiring local knowledge can enhance public participation in environmental management and facilitate early conflict resolution between stakeholders and the community. This paper investigates the use of oral history as a tool to collate a history of the flooding, ecology and management of Kanyapella Basin, a 2581 ha wetland on the floodplain of the Murray and Goulburn Rivers, Australia. Interviews were held with nine local residents and 11 natural resource managers. Oral history proved an effective way to obtain information about changes in the frequency and distribution of flood events over the last 60 years. Observations of rare and threatened fauna, and comments regarding the success of past management were also recorded. Results from the oral history have been used to direct ecological research and develop alternative management options at Kanyapella Basin. In addition to its use in gathering ecological information, oral history also proved effective in enabling the values and concerns of local community and stakeholders to be articulated, increasing managers' understanding of the social context of the particular locality, which is fundamental to sound environmental decision-making.

Environmental management of small-scale and artisanal mining: the Portovelo-Zaruma goldmining area, southern Ecuador

This paper considers technical measures and policy initiatives needed to improve environmental management in the Portovelo-Zaruma mining district of southern Ecuador. In this area, gold is mined by a large number of small-scale and artisanal operators, and discharges of cyanide and metal-laden tailings have had a severe impact on the shared Ecuadorian–Peruvian Puyango river system. It is shown to be technically possible to confine mining waste and tailings at a reasonable cost. However, the complex topography of the mining district forces tailings management to be communal, where all operators are connected to one central tailings impoundment. This, in turn, implies two things: (i) that a large number of operators must agree to pool resources to bring such a facility into reality; and (ii) that miners must move away from rudimentary operations that survive on a day-to-day basis, towards bigger, mechanised and longer-term sustainable operations that are based on proven ore reserves. It is deemed unlikely that existing environmental regulations and the provision of technical solutions will be sufficient to resolve the environmental problems. Important impediments relate to the limited financial resources available to each individual miner and the problems of pooling these resources, and to the fact that the main impacts of pollution are suffered downstream of the mining district and, hence, do not affect the miners themselves. Three policy measures are therefore suggested. First, the enforcement of existing regulations must be improved, and this may be achieved by the strengthening of the central authority charged with supervision and control of mining activities. Second, local government involvement and local public participation in environmental management needs to be promoted. Third, a clear policy should be defined which promotes the reorganisation of small operations into larger units that are strong enough to sustain rational exploration and environmental obligations. The case study suggests that mining policy in lesser-developed countries should develop to enable small-scale and artisanal miners to form entities that are of a sufficiently large scale to allow adequate and cost-effective environmental protection.

Public Participation in EIA A Study from a Portuguese Perspective

This paper focuses on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) since it was the first and is the most universal instrument requiring public participation in environmental management. After considering the origins of EIA and its relationship to the inherent problems in environment and sustainability, we put it in the context of Portuguese Case. Portugal's involvement in the European environmental debate only began after the 1974 revolution. After 40 years of repressive dictatorship, the Portuguese society is characterised by a lack of traditions in civil society, the centralisation of the state, clientelism and bureaucracy. We examine the legal framework for EIA in Portugal and its interaction with various levels of government. Within this context the results of our research work are discussed. The interviews carried out with stakeholders in the Portuguese EIA process show that public participation occurs too late in the process and that the methods of consultation are generally considered inadequate. A growing demand by the public for better systems of consultation is noted. An analysis of the current state of Portuguese EIA is given and, based on this analysis, suggestions for improving the process are made. A brief assessment is made of new legislation (decree law 69/2000) concerning EIA.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN EIA: A STUDY FROM A PORTUGUESE PERSPECTIVE

This paper focuses on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) since it was the first and is the most universal instrument requiring public participation in environmental management. After considering the origins of EIA and its relationship to the inherent problems in environment and sustainability, we put it in the context of "The Portuguese Case". Portugal's involvement in the European environmental debate only began after the 1974 revolution. After 40 years of repressive dictatorship, the Portuguese society is characterised by a lack of traditions in civil society, the centralisation of the state, clientelism and bureaucracy. We examine the legal framework for EIA in Portugal and its interaction with various levels of government. Within this context the results of our research work are discussed. The interviews carried out with stakeholders in the Portuguese EIA process show that public participation occurs too late in the process and that the methods of consultation are generally considered inadequate. A growing demand by the public for better systems of consultation is noted. An analysis of the current state of Portuguese EIA is given and, based on this analysis, suggestions for improving the process are made. A brief assessment is made of new legislation (decree law 69/2000) concerning EIA.