Environmental development and governance in western China since 2000: a case from Guizhou Province

Abstract

This paper adopts political ecology as an analytical framework, along with a case study approach, to assess environmental development and governance in western China under China’s Western Development Strategy. This study of the Beipan River Basin, Guizhou Province, revealed that not only has environmental quality in the Basin improved, but public awareness and local governments’ willingness regarding environmental protection have been enhanced since the year 2000. Challenges remain. Future environmental effort in western China demands a long term and holistic approach including: financial investment and law enforcement by central and local government, public participation, and the capacity building of local governments.

Keywords:

• Environment
• Governance
• Evaluation
• Governments
• China

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful for valuable comments offered by Dr Michael Brett-Crowther and the anonymous referees; for copy editing by Dr Estelle Dryland (Macquarie University, Sydney), for the research support provided by Ye S (Liaison Office of the Central Government in the Hong Kong SAR), Li B (Guizhou Provincial Government Office), Jiang X (Guizhou Provincial Academy of Forestry), Xiong K (Guizhou Normal University), Zhang H (Guizhou Forest Department), Zhai C (Guizhou Environmental Protection Department), Liao J (Senior Research Assistant at Geography Department, Hong Kong Baptist University), and all of the participants who assisted me in Guiyang and the Beipan River Basin during my fieldwork and data collection.