Environmental Equity through Negotiation: A Case Study on Urban Landfills and the Roma Community.
The paper discusses the necessity to bring environmental equity within the Pata Rât Roma community in Northwest Romania, relying on the answers to three questions: "Does environmental equity exist in Pata Rât?", "How can it be attained?", and "To what extent can it be brought to the targeted people?" It was shown how a trio of factors tailors the destiny of Roma inhabitants: being a minority, their ethnicity, and the fact they are living on and off what society rejects and dumps-a landfill. The framing of the environmental equity concerns within a vision considering negotiation as the most adequate means to attain it is a novel approach. Further on, the results of the study can fuel win-win solutions in environmental equity. The information abstracted from a set of indicators, assessed through an evaluation matrix, represents a beneficial platform for future bottom-up decisions concerning landfill residents. Three action options were analyzed: on-site living opportunities-that resulted to be preferred, off-site living opportunities, and "Do nothing". The analysis provides qualitative evidence that the evaluation of environmental equity is largely subjective, because of its complexity and specificity related to geographical, historical, cultural characteristics, and political interests.
Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Fantanele Street, No. 30, Cluj-Napoca 400294, Romania. malina.petrescu@ubbcluj.ro.
Ruxandra Mălina
RM
Petrescu-Mag
Faculty of Business, Babes-Bolyai University, Horea Street, No. 7, Cluj-Napoca 400174, Romania. crina.petrescu@tbs.ubbcluj.ro.
Dacinia Crina
DC
Petrescu
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania. zoobiomag2004@yahoo.com.
Ioan Gheorghe
IG
Oroian
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania. calin.safirescu@usamvcluj.ro.
Ovidiu Călin
OC
Safirescu
Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Fantanele Street, No. 30, Cluj-Napoca 400294, Romania. nicoleta.brisan@ubbcluj.ro.
Nicoleta
N
Bican-Brișan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002947:Cities; D004777:Environment; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D017008:Negotiating; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012383:Romania; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities; D055815:Young Adult
Pata Rât; Roma minority; Romania; environmental equity; justice; landfill; negotiation