How to “walk the talk”: The perspectives of sector staff on implementation of the rural water supply programme in Uganda

Many countries in sub‐Saharan Africa have adopted similar approaches to tackle the challenges of rural water supply, including community‐based management, community participation and the demand‐responsive approach. These are often combined with nationwide programmes of capacity‐building and decentralization. This paper first shows how Uganda has adopted these approaches in its rural water supply programme. Based on Government documents, we construct an organizational framework that illustrates the overall programme and outlines the roles and responsibilities which actors are expected to fulfil. Second, based on interviews with sector staff and a review of Government documents, the paper examines challenges to successfully “walk the talk”; that is, it provides insight into challenges affecting programme implementation. Among numerous difficulties, two key issues are highlighted: local political interference and the weak capacity of local governments. Concerning local political interference, local planning processes need to be reformed so that local politicians commit more strongly to improving water supply. Regarding local government capacity, the Government department responsible for the programme has established eight regional units that provide support to local governments. This promising strategy, combined with more appropriate engagement and the commitment of local politicians, should help to improve the implementation of the rural water supply programme in Uganda.     

Environmental Subsidiarity as a Guiding Principle for Forestry Governance: Application to Payment for Ecosystem Services and REDD+ Architecture

This article describes and proposes the “environmental subsidiarity principle” as a guiding ethical value in forestry governance. Different trends in environmental management such as local participation, decentralization or global governance have emerged in the last two decades at the global, national and local level. This article suggests that the conscious or unconscious application of subsidiarity has been the ruling principle that has allocated the level at which tasks have been assigned to different agents. Based on this hypothesis this paper describes the principle of subsidiarity and its application to environmental policies within forest governance and proposes the “environmental subsidiarity” principle as a critical conceptual tool for sustainable resource management. The paper explains as an example how “environmental subsidiarity” is the key principle that can link payment for ecosystem services (PES) with environmental public policies and applies this principle with all its political consequences to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+) architecture. It concludes by showing how the adoption of “environmental subsidiarity” as a ethical principle could help to maximize benefits to all stakeholders involved in PES schemes such as REDD+.     

The Commons in Transition: Agrarian and Environmental Change in Central and Eastern Europe

This paper analyzes institutional dynamics surrounding common-pool resources in postsocialist Central and Eastern Europe. It is conceived in close conjunction with the case studies by Penov, Schleyer, and Wasilewski and Krukowski (this issue). The purpose of this paper is to frame the individual case inquiries, compare their findings, and relate those to broader agrarian and environmental changes in the region.The case studies report a broad shift in resource governance from the previously dominant legal and administrative state hierarchies towards markets. In addition, state power has moved from central towards local authorities. The waning and decentralization of state power has caused the emergence of significant gaps between property legislation and rights-in-practice, which have been particularly stark in fragmented political systems. The discrepancy between legal texts and rights-in-practice leads to the exclusion of wider interests in favor of individual interests in the management of common-pool resources, resulting in resource deterioration and dwindling resource stocks. Thus, the comparative assessment suggests a tentative framework for understanding the effects of postsocialist transformations on governance of the commons and environmental change in Central and Eastern Europe. Its findings indicate an additional dimension to the diversity and distributive conflicts characterizing postsocialist privatization: the distribution of various rights to a resource among different actors. The findings also suggest the need for postsocialist states to take an active role in the governance of common-pool resources, particularly in the enforcement of legal rights. Note: This version was published online in June 2005 with the cover date of August 2004.     

Modern Environmental Agreements: A Policy Instrument Becomes a Management Strategy

The current trend in environmental policy is to combine public-private partnership and problem-solving among industries with a classic approach to governance within a legal framework. The country that has probably made the greatest strides toward a comprehensive approach to environmental management is the Netherlands. This paper briefly reviews the history of that approach before analysing the phenomenon of modern environmental agreements. As this analysis reveals, the comprehensive approach has strengthened the implementation of Dutch environmental policy. At the same time, it has fallen short in the core area of environmental management: the assessment of pros and cons of environment and economy. Because of the limited scope of governance, the fundamental issues of sustainability are not being addressed at present. The paper concludes that modern environmental agreements are appropriate to a certain phase of environmental policy. In that light, some prospects for further development are discussed.     

Environmental policy in the Baltic States of Estonia and Latvia

Three major kinds of strategies are envisaged in Latvia and Estonia as ways of improving the environment; these are based on economical, legislative and technological measures. In this paper, environmental problems and policies in the Baltic States are examined, together with the results of a survey of the public's attitude to environmental management. The results indicate dissatisfaction with the state of the environment, and discontent with the way in which environmental issues are managed. The public felt that they were not well‐informed about policy questions and, of the available sources of information, the mass‐media was most important. The public also felt that very little reliable information on environmental issues was obtained from politicians and local authorities.     

网络化治理视域下的中国区域环境治理研究进展

网络化治理作为一种不同于科层—集中型和市场—分散型的新型治理方式,在环境治理中有其自身的优势。当前,区域环境公共事务的不断增长已超出政府单个主体的能力范围,需要加强政府与企业、社会组织及公众等多元主体的共同治理,构建以多元主体参与为核心的多重、复杂、交叉的网络化环境治理模式。基于网络化治理产生的背景、演变过程和内涵,围绕多元主体相互作用、行动主体的网络关系结构和模式、治理网络的运行逻辑和机制等方面系统梳理其研究进展,为推进我国现代化环境治理体系提供参考。     

Realization of participation and spatiality in participatory forest management – a policy–practice analysis from Zanzibar,Tanzania

The efforts in sustainable natural resource management have given rise to decentralization of forest governance in the developing world with hopes for better solutions and effective implementation. In this paper, we examine how spatially sensitive participation is realized from policy to practice in the process of establishing participatory forest management in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Our policy–practice analysis shows that the policies in Zanzibar strongly support decentralization and local level participation has in practice been realized. However, the policy does not emphasize participatory process design nor address the possibilities of using spatial information and technologies to ensure wider participation. Thus, the practices fall short in innovativeness of using site-sensitive information with available technologies. Reflecting the Zanzibari Community Forest Management Agreements (CoFMA) context with examples of participatory use of spatial information and technologies in other parts of the world, we discuss ways to improve the Zanzibari CoFMA process towards increased participation, communication, local sense of ownership and more sustainable land management decisions, and argue for the future implementation of CoFMA as a spatially sensitive participatory process.     

比利时环境治理典型经验分析——以弗拉芒大区为例

作为欧盟的核心成员国之一,近年来比利时在环境治理方面成效显著。尤其是弗拉芒大区,逐渐形成了以"土地证书"为标志的土壤污染治理、"从摇篮到坟墓"的废弃物治理和以"许可证制度"为核心的空气污染治理等一系列特点鲜明的环境治理措施和方法。本文着重分析弗拉芒大区环境治理的机构设置和目标,以及其土地污染治理中的"土地证书"和土地交易管理,空气污治理中的工业污染源和交通污染源治理,废弃物治理中的法律、经济与自愿工具使用三个方面的典型经验。结合比利时弗拉芒大区的典型经验和现阶段我国环境政策体系存在的主要问题,建议我国环境政策体系的改进和完善,应更加注重实现污染外部性的内部化、利用市场手段来实现土壤保护和开发新的环境政策工具。     

The Role of Information in Environmental Management and Governance in Lesotho

Successful environmental management and governance can be realised through maximum dissemination of information. Environmental management and governance involve knowledge and understanding of environmental laws and citizens' involvement in environmental issues. Citizens' contributions to environmental laws, policies and regulations lead to good governance and management and, as a result, access to environmental information. Structures of environmental information dissemination, from as far back as during the traditional land tenure, are in place in Lesotho; to what extent these instruments facilitate awareness of key environmental issues in Lesotho, facilitate policy implementation and influence decision making is what this paper tries to reveal.     

Changing governance structures and the environment: economy–environment relations at the local and regional scales

Two substantive bodies of research have developed in recent years, both of which have a focus upon local and regional scales. First, there has been the development of work on changing forms of local and regional governance. This has drawn on a range of theoretical perspectives, including notions of institutional capacity, urban regime theory and neo-regulationalist accounts. Second, a body of research has developed into environmental policy and sustainable development, but this has largely been normative and undertheorized. While these two bodies of literature have developed separately, we believe there is merit in bringing the insights from each together. A focus on local environmental policy helps to broaden our understanding of local governance and problems of after-Fordist regulation. Such a project also helps to illuminate problems in implementing policy on the environment and sustainability. The examination of changing local and regional forms of governance allows us to identify new state spaces, which may provide opportunities for the strategic insertion of environmental objectives into economic development policies. This paper seeks to theorize such environment–economy relations and emerging multi-scalar forms of environmental governance, drawing upon case study research work in six UK local authority areas. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新形势下我国环境管理与改革取向

在"十三五"我国经济新常态的大逻辑下,环境管理机遇和挑战并存。污染欠账多、污染随着产业转移、政策执行走样、排污收费覆盖面窄、收取率低等,制约环境管理和环保产业的发展。对环境污染的严重性和复杂性、生态环境形势的十分严峻性,以及对污染治理的艰巨性和长期性,应当有一个清醒认识。扭转环境保护与经济发展不协调、不可持续状况,满足城乡居民日益高涨的环境诉求,必须调整环境管理思路,加快改革步伐,扭转环境保护"弱势"格局,厘清环境管理、环境事业和环境市场之间的关系,形成以排污许可证为依据的管理主线、以环境标准为准绳的倒逼机制,以环境司法裁定为常态的终身责任追究制度,创造一个人人守法、企业自觉治理污染和保护环境的社会氛围。     

Implementation of a zero waste program at a university campus

A zero waste program was established at a university campus in response to grassroots student concern over environmental management issues. The implementation procedure consisted of initial discussions with academic and local authority staff at a university environmental forum, the formation of a working group, the preparation of a funding proposal and the establishment of an externally funded research, educational and promotional program led by an academic staff member. Support from senior management existed in the form of a written environmental policy and a signed commitment to environmental responsibility in tertiary education and university funding support followed the success of the initial funding application. Projects were typically conducted by paid research associates, assisted by student volunteers and supervised by a program leader from the academic staff. Co-operation and support from facilities management staff was obtained on an informal basis. A campus environmental committee was established in order to facilitate communication on environmental matters between the School for the Environment, senior university management, facilities management staff, academic staff and students. In order to enable full program development however, a need for linkages between all sectors involved in the program and the introduction of a formal environmental management system was identified.     

Integrating Local Environmental Management and Federal/State Interests Through Governance: The Case of the Garden Island Environmental Advisory Committee

The apparently unresolvable differences between managing national defense and local conservation, public recreation, and scientific research can be overcome through an advisory committee, with a strong and dedicated entity to drive the processes of governance and change. The case of the Garden Island Environmental Advisory Committee shows how the organizational and political difficulties of integrating state interests and federal concerns were met. Garden Island, off the coast of Perth, the capital of the State of Western Australia, is a base for the Royal Australian Navy which is administered by the federal Department of Defence. Examples are given of the committee's approach to integrated environmental management and the implementation of the Navy's environmental policy.     

Decentralized Natural Resource Management: From State to Co-management in India

In India, as in many parts of the developing world, the dominant view has been that local people are causing natural resource degradation. New thinking in the natural resource management domain is gradually replacing the older views blaming local people for decline of natural resources. The new approach advocates decentralization of natural resource management. This is discussed in this paper in relation to the ongoing decentralization reforms in India. The centralized approach dominated natural resource management in India during the colonial period. The government after independence conveniently adopted the same approach, excluding local people from forests. Recent research and resistance from grassroot movements led to a paradigm shift towards decentralization at the policy level in natural resource management. It is not clear whether the new Joint Forest Management (JFM) policy in India is an attempt to institutionalize state dominance, or if it will lead to real decentralization. The data from several villages adjacent to the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), Rajasthan, India show that state dominance is still prevalent, despite constraints. The real challenge lies in providing flexibility within the JFM policy to adapt to local conditions in natural resource management.     

基于区域梯度式学习情景的长江经济带环境治理研究

长江经济带作为国家重大战略,面临开发与保护的巨大挑战,构建科学、高效的生态环境保护机制为其保驾护航成为重中之重。作为一个流域式生态共同体,区域统筹协调下的生态环境保护和治理是根本关键。本研究导入区域协同治理理念,提出构建梯度式渐进学习环境协同治理框架,并采用数据进行长江经济带环境污染治理的多情景测度与评价实证检验了梯度间以及梯度内部的环境保护与污染治理协调机制的潜在影响。最终,从中央、区域和地方三个层面提出梯度式学习视野下长江经济带环境治理策略。     

提高土壤环境管理成效:推进三大环境要素协同治理

经过长期的大气污染和水污染治理实践,各地积累了一定的技术、工程和管理经验,但随着土壤污染问题的日益凸显,三大环境要素质量如何整体提升、确保区域生态系统服务功能稳定持续发挥、满足人民群众对环境产品的需求,成为各级政府推进环境基本公共服务均等化过程中需要正视和亟待破解的一个难题。本文在系统分析当前环境污染以单要素为主线实施治理的总体思路所面临困境的基础上,基于生态系统整体性和区域统筹考量,从治理主体、治理手段、治理过程三个方面,提出推进土壤环境-水环境-大气环境协同治理的基本路径,为国家出台土壤环境管理相关政策措施、促进城镇化过程中区域环境质量整体改善提供参考。     

海南"美丽乡村"环境协同治理状况调研:政策工具的视角

"美丽乡村"是"美丽中国"的重要载体和组成部分。实现"美丽乡村"的生态环境治理需要政府、社会、村民的多方协同治理,政策工具的选取、组合、使用,决定了协同模式的构建。本调研基于政策工具的视角考察海南"美丽乡村"环境协同治理状况,根据所得数据科学研究分析,科学合理地提出相应的建议对策,以期为海南"美丽乡村"环境协同治理提供实证借鉴。     

Who counts,what counts: representation and accountability in water governance in the Upper Comoé sub‐basin,Burkina Faso

This article examines the unfolding of integrated water resource management (IWRM) reforms in southwest Burkina Faso, where water resources are subject to conflicting claims by a diversity of users. We first describe the establishment a local water user committee, showing how choices regarding composition and operations grant varying levels of recognition to different stakeholders. We then discuss the implications for key dimensions of decentralized governance, namely representation and accountability. In particular we focus on: (a) how the interplay of political agendas and policy disconnects shapes the committee's viability and credibility and (b) how tensions between techno‐scientific and local knowledge affect participation and transparency. We argue that in contexts defined by contentious politics and neo‐patrimonial practices, representativeness is better ensured by the direct inclusion of user groups rather than elected officials. Though limited discretionary power, information access, and technical capabilities of committee members inhibit accountability, rural producers uphold their claims through social mobilization and reliance on local knowledge. Recognizing the opportunities offered by the country's recent democratic turn, we formulate recommendations aimed at addressing structural drivers and enabling citizen agency in decentralized water governance. At the same time, further research is needed on local people's understandings of representation and accountability, to ensure that they are involved in institutional design and practices in ways that affirm what they value and what they know.     

国家环境经济政策进展评估报告2023

本年度报告采取实地调研法和政策分析法,系统评估2023年我国环境经济政策实践进展,总体认为环境经济政策体系不断健全完善,为美丽中国建设与生态环境质量持续改善提供了重要推动力,在生态文明治理体系中的地位和作用更加凸显,为宏观经济全面绿色低碳发展转型及美丽中国建设目标加快实现提供了重要支撑。未来,需要更加强调环境经济政策的科学性、系统性、经济性和制度化建设,深化环境经济政策创新,实施统筹谋划、综合调控、集成应用,在环境治理体系和治理能力现代化建设中发挥更加重要作用。     

中国改革开放40年生态环境保护的历史变革——从“三废”治理走向生态文明建设

中国改革开放的40年也是生态环境保护管理体制不断改革和飞跃的40年。自1972年开展生态环境保护工作起,围绕着解决不同发展阶段突出环境问题的需要,每10年左右实现一次环境管理体制改革"大跨跃",不断改革、创新和发展了具有中国特色的生态环境保护治理体系与模式。坚持在发展中解决环境问题,以改善生态环境质量为核心,逐步构建了符合不同发展阶段特征的生态环境保护管理体系,包括完备的生态环境规划政策体系、完善的生态环境治理体系、完整的生态环境保护法律体系。在新时代中国特色社会主义建设过程中,应瞄准建设美丽中国的战略目标,立足中国、放眼世界,坚持绿色发展,做好顶层设计,构建生态环境管理体系新格局,共建清洁美丽世界。