Local environmental governance in Bangladesh: How far are municipalities involved in achieving environmental sustainability?

摘要

Understanding the issues of local environmental governance is crucial for both the environment and for policy. This paper examines the performance of local government institutions such as municipalities in terms of their environmental responses in their responsibilities. Authorities of two municipalities and stakeholders are the primary sources of data in this study. Based on their responses, the findings are that these municipalities barely qualify as urban governing bodies in ensuring environmentally friendly governance. They are found to be highly inactive in ensuring environmental sustainability in their regular and development programs. Stakeholders are found to be greatly deprived of the services they should receive from their local authorities. The expectations of stakeholders and the actual services delivered by the authorities in regard to the environment are significantly out of step with each.