What is environmental governance?

Nathan J. Bennett

Environmental governance is a topic that has received a fair amount of attention in the academic and applied literatures on conservation and environmental management in the last few years. However, there remains a significant amount of confusion about what governance is, how governance is different than management, and what topics and questions governance scholars examine. In this open access extended review in the journal Conservation Biology, I provide answers to these questions while reviewing Peter Jones’ book “Governing Marine Protected Areas: Resilience through Diversity“. Excerpts from the text of “Governing marine protected areas in an interconnected and changing world” follow below.

What is governance?  – “Governance is an umbrella term that refers to the structures, institutions (i.e., laws, policies, rules, and norms), and processes that determine who makes decisions, how decisions are made, and how and what actions are taken and by whom.”

How does governance differ from management? –…

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Environmental Issues in Pondicherry: Consultation Workshop for Report Finalisation and Submission to Government of Pondicherry.
A study was initiated by the Environmental Governance Group, Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore in collaboration with a group of CSOs from Pondicherry to document environment issues concerning Pondicherry. The study gathered the data and information related to environmental issues of Pondicherry region from different secondary sources like reports and other published documents. Further, consultations were held with various CSOs working in Pondicherry, communities and other actors involved with the working on environmental issues in Pondicherry. Issues such as drinking water, sea erosion, air pollution, loss of livelihoods of fisher folk, farmers and other livelihood groups, water bodies and natural stream degradation, urbanisation vis-a-vis loss of agriculture land, solid waste management, industrial pollution and issues of governance were covered in the report. In addition to the above, environmental experts and retired government officials who have been involved with environmental issues of Pondicherry for many years were consulted for their inputs.

Organisations like HOPE, PondyCAN, Puducherry Science Forum, People’s Pulse, Sembadugai Naneeragam Poovulagin Nanbargal, Anbalayam, MASS, Karunalayam contributed to the report and also provided the required support and inputs for the study. The Department of Environment and Ecology at the Pondicherry University too provided inputs for the report. HOPE, Pondicherry had coordinated the study from starting to end and in submitting the report to the government of Pondicherry.

The workshop for finalisation of ‘Puducherry Environment Issues Report’ was held on 4th October 2012 at Rendezvous Hall, Hotel Ananda Inn. P. Srikant from Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bangalore welcomed the participants. The consultation workshop was facilitated by J.Jangal from Public Affairs Centre and Victor, HOPE, Pondicherry. Victor, HOPE, gave the background to the workshop including objective of the workshop and follow up action
Dr. Poyyamoli, Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University who also co-hosted the event presented a study prepared by his department which was restricted to Puducherry region. The report covered various issues like climate, soil & vegetation, rivers, lakes, wetlands, forests & wildlife, agriculture, educational institutions, tourism, fisheries, transport, industries, solid waste management. Dr. Poyyamoli highlighted the adverse impact on environment. He called in for an integrated coastal zone management including communities. He lamented that governance in general has become more technical in nature alienating the common people from police making, where as the policy in reality affects the common people. Environment policy integration along with following sustainable environment policies that ensures livelihood security is the key to sound environment.

Mr. Nambi Ganesan, a resource person from MASS NGO, Pondicherry, was identified by HOPE to undertake the study supported by PAC. He prepared the final draft report of environmental issues of Pondicherry. The report covered wide range issues ranging from population growth to natural hazards to coastal erosion, sea ports, urbanisation, water bodies and ground water, energy, tourism, housing, solid waste management, slums, air pollution, industrialisation, etc,

The consultation workshop invited key resource persons from Pondicherry such as Mr. Hemachandran, Former Secretary, Government of Pondicherry, who highlighted major environment issues in Pondicherry like drinking water, solid waste management, coastal erosion and port development and use of plastics etc. There were resource persons from Pondicherry University, Research Scholars and Civil Society Organisations and members of Coalition for Green Governance that shared key environmental issues and proposed recommendations for addressing the issues to protect the environment, livelihoods and life of people in Puducherry.

Key Recommendations submitted to Government of Puducherry:
The Consultation meeting had arrived at the following key recommendations and the same was submitted to the Honourable Minister for Electricity Mr. T.Thiyagarajan, Government of Puducherry, Special Secretary to Government of Puducherry and Director Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Government of Puducherry.

a. Land and Land Holding Pattern Issues:

 Agriculture land should not be earmarked for other purposes like housing, industrial estates etc

 Natural Farming and Organic Farming should be encouraged with incentives and subsidies

b. Water Issues:

 Water Quality Analysis Periodical Reports should be made public
 Clean and Safe Drinking Water availability should be assured in all Schools
 Water Budgeting and Auditing should be made mandatory and strictly enforced
 Waste water recycling at gated community/ apartments/ housing colonies for reuse and Kitchen Garden promotion
 Rain water harvesting should be made compulsory within a stipulated time frame for all households, industries, Commercial establishments, Institutions etc
 Awareness programmes on “Save Water” “Justifiable Water Use”

c. Coastal Erosion Issues:

 Coastal Regulated Zone Act 2011 with Amendments should be replaced with CRZ 1991 without any additional amendments
 Proper and planned regular dredging should be undertaken to preserve the natural sand movement in the port area to reclaim the lost beach
 Projects which affect the Coastal Region, Livelihoods and Environment should not be planned or undertaken.

 d. Waste Management Issues:

 Segregation of waste at source, recycle and reprocess the same at zone level instead of dumping at waste dumping sites
 Hazardous and Bio Medical Waste should be managed by the producers of the concerned waste
 Strict enforcement of the usage of Plastic materials below 50 Microns
 Awareness cum Education campaigns on Waste Management for School Children and General Public

e. Energy Issues:

 Solar Power for Lighting in business and industries should be made one of the criteria for building plan approval
 Promotion of Non conventional energy and Renewable energy sources installation with Soft Loan, Subsidies etc
 Energy Budgeting and Energy Auditing should be made compulsory for all commercial establishments and educational institutions
 Power and other cables should be installed in underground trenches only

f. Water Bodies Issues:

 State Water Policy should be announced immediately
 Assigning Water bodies like Tanks, Ponds etc for other purposes should be strictly scraped
 Dumping waste, industrial effluent etc in water bodies, water ways should be completely stopped
 Water ways should be rejuvenated with clearing of encroachments and bushes and planting of saplings in the bunds
 Drain water from Uppanar and Grand Canal should be treated before letting out into sea
 Ousteri and Bahour lakes should be declared as ecologically sensitive water bodies
 Separate Independent Department for water bodies management should be created
 Community Based water bodies rehabilitation should be revived
 Mutual concurrence pact with Tamil Nadu State should be drawn for the free flow of water and other resources

g. Road and Vehicles Density Issues:

 Public transportation facilities should be increased
 Promotion of Renewable Energy (Battery), Non Conventional Energy (CNG) operated Autos, Tempos and City Public Transport Services
 Exclusive Cycle tracks in existing and proposed roads
 Vehicle Parking in earmarked areas only and charges for parking should be introduced
h. Common Effluent Treatment Facility Issues:

 Common Effluent Treatment Facility should be made mandatory for all hazardous waste generating industries, institutions
 Commissioning of Incineration plants as mandatory requirement to grant license/ permission for in all hazardous and bio medical waste generating units

i. Population – Migration and Immigration Regulation:

 The registration of migrants and immigrants with the authorities should be made compulsory

j. Green Cover:

 Planting of tree saplings in all the lands both Private and Government should be planted with tree saplings within a stipulated time
 Artificial regeneration of Mangrove forests in the break waters

k. Exclusive Web portal – Environ related issues:

 Government should built an exclusive Web Portal for updating environment related projects and for the public to lodge opinions

l. Monitoring of Environment Management:

 A monitoring body with members from Civil Society, Farming and Fishing Community etc should be formed

m. Awareness Creation cum Education Programme:

 Awareness cum Education programmes on Environment Issues, Water and Sanitation, Greenery Promotion, Bio Diversity etc for School Children
 Preparation and distribution of proper IEC materials on Environment preservation, waste management, water and sanitation etc
 Dissemination of Environment related information through local media
Jangal & Srikant

A Civil Society perspective of the green issues of Tamil Nadu

Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu – A Civil Society Perspective Report was submitted to the Principal Secretary, Environment, Tamil Nadu Mr. M.C.V.Shankar IAS on 14th August 2012.

CEG presenting the compiled report to the Principal secretary

The Environmental Governance Group at the Public Affairs Centre initiated a study to assess the environmental issues in different regions of Tamil Nadu viz., East, West, South, Central and Northern regions of Tamil Nadu. This was done in collaboration with the civil society network – Coalition for Environmental Governance (CEG), Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, who are concerned about the growing environmental issues affecting the people and the environment in the states. The Civil Society lead Organisations such as Bedrock, Kudumbam – LEISA, Network, VRDP, Earth Smiles and PAD with the support of Public Affairs Centre and different organisations and individuals carried out a study titled “Environmental Concerns of Tamil Nadu – A Civil Society Perspective. The report was submitted to the Principal Secretary- Environment, M.C.V.Sankar IAS at his office on 14th August 2012 by core team members of CEG consisting of Dr. Parivelan from Earth Smiles, Mr. Renganathan from VRDP and Dr. P. Srikant from Public Affairs Centre (PAC). The discussion went on for nearly 45 minutes during which the salient points of the report were shared. The Principal Secretary has assured the team that the relevant points from this study will be incorporated in the State of Environment Report for Tamil Nadu for which is forth coming. It is a good beginning for a policy dialogue.

By J.Jangal, Programme Manager, PAC – EnGG

Inviting entries: Colloquium on Citizen Voices in Environmental Governance

PAC Colloquium on Citizen Voices in Environmental Governance
August 23-24, 2012
Bangalore

With economic growth, development and climate change, how India decides to govern its environment in the age of rapid transitions is of paramount importance. How individuals, societies and the state confront the myriad trade-offs involved will determine the state of the environment we leave behind us. Public Affairs Centre is organizing a two day colloquium on Citizen Voices in Environmental Governance during August 23-24, 2012 to explore how citizens can play a constructive role in promoting better environmental policy and governance in India.

We invite policymakers, researchers, development experts, activists and committed individuals to come and speak at the colloquium and share your views and experiences on climate and environmental change, laws and environmental governance in India, tools to promote transparency and accountability in environmental decision-making and initiatives that were successful influencing environmental policy.

We invite you to contribute. Visit our colloquium page and register!

The Lives, Livelihoods and Environment of Wayanad

The Environmental Governance Group (EnGG) at the centre has been working to promote people centered environmental governance in India. As a pilot project it started working in the Gulf of Mannar coast of Tamil Nadu. The primary objective of the project is to develop a Climate Change Score Card, a knowledge product that harvests people’s opinion with scientific knowledge and connects these to quality of governance. While making progress on designing the CCSC, we strongly felt the need to broaden our reach into different regions, communities and geographies. We decided to do so in the highland region of Wayanad in Kerala.

Wayanad is a small district in Kerala, South India that is nestled amidst the Western Ghats. The region enjoys a unique microclimate, as the district is dominated by a high-altitude valley amidst higher hill ranges.

The region, once completely forested and devoid of significant human presence, has experienced rapid population growth and development since independence, with the population of the district doubling between 1970 and 2000. As a result of unregulated growth and unsustainable practices, the ecology of the region has been significantly affected over the last few decades. The effect of ecological degradation on local lives and livelihoods is becoming increasingly evident over the past decade. Under the influence of global climate change, the existing vulnerabilities of the region are likely to become worse and the climate risks are likely to become larger.

It is the need of the hour to advocate for sound climate change adaptation and promote climate-resilient development in Wayanad through careful study.

As we embarked on this venture, we found that many funding agencies have shifted their focus out of Kerala to backward North Indian states, as a result of which getting funding support for this project appeared increasingly difficult. Thus, we decided that more background analysis was necessary to justify the case for Wayanad, and to preface fundraising efforts. We are indebted to the IDRC-TTi initiative for giving us the space and the resources to make progress here.

Supported by the IDRC-TTi, EnGG is undertaking a preliminary study to understand the links between the environment, livelihoods and governance in Wayanad. We are partnering with RASTA (Rural Agency for Social and Technological Advancement), a reputed Civil Society organisation that has been working in Wayanad since 1984 on community empowerment, introduction of sustainable technologies, ecological conservation and natural resource management.

In the following weeks, we will be blogging regularly with chapters and excerpts from our study of The Lives, Livelihoods and Environment of Wayanad. Your comments and suggestions on the same will help us greatly in improving our understanding on the dynamics of the region.

EnGG successfully organizes a workshop on Lives, Livelihoods and Environment of Wayanad, Kerala

“We are cutting down the branch that we are sitting on, and it won’t be long before we fall.” Mr. K.L. Paulose, the District Panchayat President of Wayanad made the above remark while speaking at a one-day workshop on the Lives, Livelihoods and Environment of Wayanad organized by Public Affairs Centre(PAC), Bangalore and RASTA, Wayanad on 3^rd November at the RASTA Training Centre, Kambalakad.

Ms. Omana T.K. in her opening remarks spoke on the contrasting experiences of Wayanad in the 1980’s and the recent times. This workshop is a platform to bring together the interveners, players and the communities in exploring and understanding the linkage between lives, livelihoods and environment of the region.

PAC and RASTA are undertaking a study to understand the link between environment, livelihoods and governance in the Wayanad region. This study primarily aims at understanding the environment vulnerability of the livelihoods in Wayanad and explores the impact of environmental changes on the livelihoods. A better protected and a more cared-for environment would result in more secure livelihoods.

Public Affairs Centre comes with a 15 year history of promoting good governance in India and abroad, with its flagship Citizen Report Card being used on numerous occasions by government agencies to receive citizen feedback to improve the quality of public service delivery. RASTA has been in Wayanad for the last two decades working to protect environment and in particular enabling local institutions conserve and preserve natural resources of the region.

R Suresh, Director of Public Affairs Centre emphasized the need to combine people’s wisdom with technical knowledge to inform the formulation of innovative policies that would directly change people’s lives for the better. In Kerala, and Wayanad in particular, the confluence of informed citizenry, technical experts and powerful people’s organizations increased the chances of locating critical policy reforms that would arrest environmental decline and improve policy processes.

Other speakers during the Inaugural session included Mr. Gafoor, Vice President Panamaram Block Panchayat, Ms. Kunhayisha, President of Kaniyambetta Gram Panchayat, Ms. Girija, Ward Member and other intellectuals and practitioners.

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PAC and RASTA to organize a workshop on Lives, Livelihoods and Environment of Wayanad

Wayanad is a highland region is nestled amidst the Western Ghats. The region enjoys a unique microclimate, as the district encompasses a high-altitude valley amidst higher hill ranges.

The region once completely forested and devoid of significant human presence, has experienced rapid population growth and development since independence, with the population of the district doubling between 1970 and 2000. As a result of unregulated growth and unsustainable practices, the ecology of the region has been significantly affected over the last few decades. The effect of ecological degradation on local lives and livelihoods is becoming increasingly evident over the past decade. Under the influence of global climate change, the existing vulnerabilities of the region are likely to become worse and the climate risks are likely to become larger.

In this regard PAC and RASTA are undertaking a study to understand the link between environment, livelihoods and governance in the Wayanad region. This study primarily aims at understanding the environment vulnerability of the livelihoods in Wayanad and explores the impact of environmental changes on the livelihoods.

This workshop is a beginning of a series of dialogues between the interveners, players and the communities to bring them together in exploring and understanding the linkage between lives, livelihoods and environment of the region.

RASTA (Rural Agency for Social and Technological Advancement) is a reputed Civil Society organisation that has been working in the Wayanad region since 1984 on community empowerment, introduction of sustainable technologies, ecological conservation and natural resource management. (www.rasta-india.org)

Understanding Bangalore’s Climate – What’s with all the rain?

This past week, Bangalore received copious amounts of rainfall on consecutive nights.  A heavy spell of rainfall with 76 mm of precipitation was recorded in the city starting on August 15th night. There was more rain on the following day, with Bangalore receiving another 38 mm of precipitation.  (You can take a look at the data yourself here.)

On average, Bangalore receives only 137 mm of rainfall in August, which means that with the two days of rainfall, Bangalore has already exceeded the month’s quota of expected rainfall! (with 144mm). 

What does this mean? Do we truly have a freak set of rainfall set on our hands? Or can this be normal even when it doesn’t agree with the average numbers? This post aims to make sense of rainfall and variability in Bangalore. 

Coming soon: KnowYourClimate.org

The Environmental Governance Group is happy to announce that it will soon be launching a new web portal on Climate Change!

Do you want to know how climate change might affect your city, or your state? Are you tired of listening to opinions and reports and want to know what the data says? Know Your Climate aims to help you find out!

Know Your Climate is an effort at demystifying climate science and providing people in India with sound information on their local climate, and help people analyse and understand the subtleties involved.

At a time when most people profess strong opinions on climate change, when you have everyone from denialists to fear-mongers looming large, we firmly believe that it is essential to take a step back and understand your local climate a little better first.

We have been working on this for the better part of the summer and hope to launch the beta website soon! Do stay tuned for further updates.

Follow –up Meeting on People’s Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu, Trichy

24th May 2011, Tiruchirapalli

Traditionally policy makers perceived environmental issues to be outside the ambit of governance and largely neglected green issues. However, in the recent times new areas of conflict surrounding environmental concerns are emerging within the ambit of governance. For instance, livelihood issues are coming in direct conflict with developmental projects like dams, industries, infrastructure projects and nuclear power plants.

In this backdrop, Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore, India initiated the process of developing a Green Manifesto for Tamil Nadu. In collaboration with Earth Smiles, Chennai and People’s Action for Development (PAD), Tuticorin, it organized a round table in March, 2011. The participants decided to come together under the banner of ‘People’s Coalition for Green Tamil Nadu’ (PCGTN) to take these initiative forward and as an outcome of this a green manifesto was drafted and released simultaneously in various parts of the state, including Chennai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Dindigul and other districts.

We also have had an opportunity to circulate and share the Green Manifestos with the political parties/representatives in our working area. This exercise has certainly given all of us an opportunity to reach out to various sections of society in sensitizing them on environmental issues and mobilising a demand for better environmental governance.

During our last consultation in Chennai, all the members had expressed the need to organise a follow-up meeting to share our initial experiences and then plan for the future of PCGTN. With the recent completion of elections and the government in place this is the right time to reflect and plan forward. In this regard, we are organizing the follow-up meeting on 24th May at Tiruchy. Mr. Oswald Quintal, State Convener, Kudumbam LEISA Network has kindly agreed to host and support in organizing the meeting.

LEISA “Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture” is a network of 82 NGOs (Non-governmental organisation) along with about 2,000 small farmers in Tamil Nadu. The network has existed since 1990 and advocates for the use of traditional knowledge, a more economical use of natural resources and the “low external input” methods without pesticides in a more sustainable agriculture.

The main focus of this meeting is to share our experiences in advocating for inclusion of green manifesto, arrive at an action plan for post election monitoring and to plan for a systematic approach in strengthening the coalition to ensure its sustainability.

The meeting is being organized at the TMSSS Empowerment Centre, (Opp. Jenny Plaza), Tiruchirapali.