Environmental governance can be understood as a conglomeration of different mechanisms and systems which promote environment protection and conservation through participation of multiple stakeholders.
They are implementing and policy making agencies of the Government at Central, State, Municipal and Panchayat levels, the legislatures and judiciary, the public and private corporate sectors, financial institutions, industry associations, academic and research institutions, independent professionals and experts, the media, youth clubs, community based organizations and voluntary organizations.
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act marks a turning point in the history of local governance in India making local self-governance an important factor in management of the environment and natural resources.
Water, food, and energy are highly strategic resources. They are essential for human development as well as for human survival. Therefore, water and food are badly necessary in this regard.
Food production is closely intertwined with water and energy, while water and energy for their part are intimately linked to climate change. Growing population, rising affluences, changing diets, and the demands of development have already placed significant pressure upon these strategic resources. Therefore, growth of the economy should be based on “Eco centric” approach.
Several NGOs and environmentalists are working with local communities to conserve traditional knowledge and sacred practices as important elements for conservation of environment.
When we know that soil is our mother, we must offer her a gift in the form of planting trees. For this, as a first step, we will identify “Eco regions” inside villages which should be given prime importance. As a result, trees can play a pivotal role in maintaining the ecology due to global warming and climate change. The second step requires focus on awareness and education and the need to have professional village managers, local Government experts, accountable elected leaders, who can bring about radical challenges and render new structures and accountability to climate change. This requires formation of a multilateral forum to institutionalize cooperation at the civil society level. Collaboration among the cities, municipalities, rural local Governments and civil society for building of mutual cooperation and collaboration of various fields of governance is highly needed. This can prepare necessary ground for exchange of ideas and experiences and exposure to innovations, experiments, methodology and research for working towards making governance at the local level democratic, participative, transparent and humane. As a result this will develop multilateralism in the grass roots practices of democracy by participatory planning.
Of late, climate change has come under the radar of developmental priorities. It. is a potent time bomb, slowly ticking away. Therefore, the Government should formulate policy regarding local Government’s role in environment protection and the elected members with consultation with the villagers and the elected members can prepare budget on local climate and strive to secure sufficient mandate to carry forward their roles and responsibilities.
The Government should execute climate change adaptation and preparedness measures through local Government planning, development and operational mechanisms, prioritizing the most vulnerable areas to ensure that local climate priorities and actions should get prominent attention.
The local Governments are now being mobilized to work in tandem with regional and national associations through networks and partners to seriously address climate change issues.
This will bring local Government into limelight and play a proactive role in decision making and influencing Government on realising the importance of climate change.
(The writer is a Research Fellow in New Delhi)