Towards participatory environmental management?
While the mainstream approach to environmental management (EM) has tended to be centralized, adopting a narrow conception of 'environment', there is a growing body of literature supporting a participatory approach which is decentralized, community oriented and holistic in its view of the environment. This paper examines the main principles underlying this development and assesses the opportunities and constraints associated with it. It concludes that, while participation is conducive to a localized and inclusive approach to EM, many questions remain about the extent to which it is meaningful in practice or can be institutionalized.
Kapoor
I
I
Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3. ikapoor@yorku.ca
D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D011050:Policy Making; D011639:Public Opinion; D011640:Public Policy