Environmental Governance Social Justice

This project is focused on consolidating and enhancing intellectual understanding, knowledge and capacity about environmental governance, with a particular focus on southern Africa. Understanding the governance of complex human-ecological systems is vital in a world faced with rapid environmental change, conflicts over dwindling natural resources, and crises of economic, social and ecological sustainability. Improved understanding is also essential to promote social justice approaches which benefit the most marginalised sectors of society and reduce inequality.

Developing capacity in this arena is vital to improving governance – a critical requirement for achieving sustainability. This project provides a significant opportunity for deepening our understanding of the nature of these complex human-ecological systems and how lessons can be shared between researchers working in the fields of natural resource governance across southern Africa. A two year project will be implemented that will draw on the knowledge, research findings and lessons learned between research in the fields of terrestrial and coastal governance.

A key focus will be the development of a common conceptual framework for understanding and enhancing good governance, and the identification of key processes, mechanisms and conditions for achieving sound environmental governance. The findings from this research collaboration will result in a book and journal papers, and will also contribute towards policy processes that lead to social justice, poverty alleviation, human rights and environmental sustainability in southern Africa.