Paper Details

For a long time, public-sector actors have been the main focal agents in the process of environmental policy-making; with changing times, the approach and strategies towards the matter have changed as well. The state institutions or the public sector are aided and assisted by several other agencies. There is a move from government to governance and multilevel governance; since various institutions and agencies participate in the making of policies geared towards addressing environmental issues. These policies aim to reduce the impact of environmental changes and disasters, whether caused by nature or humans while meeting the current and future needs of the community. Public and private actors today work through strategies of coordination and collaboration; leaving space for local communities to participate as well. This is due to the understanding that the relationship between certain communities and nature goes beyond the conventional understanding of human-nature interactions and this is reflected in their active participation in environmental governance. Environmental governance with Actor-network theory (ANT) encompasses more than just the anthropogenic standpoint of nature-human relations; in this, the capacity of human and nonhuman agents to influence action is also to be acknowledged. Collaboration and network-based approach through ANT stresses actors and actants working as agents or co-agents in environmental governance.

Environmental governance, multi-level governance, actors, actants.