Public participation and environmental governance in Singapore

Abstract

Singapore is as a very small city-state with limited human and natural resources. It has successfully moved from a developing to a newly developed country, and has maintained its economic viability during many global economic crises. Effective governance and management of resources has been a key factor in ensuring national survival. However, its formal democratic processes have been considered limited, especially in terms of public participation. Given that effective governance often presupposes some degree of public participation this paper explores the role of public participation in the management of the environment in Singapore. It aims to identify (i) the availability of information about environmental laws and regulations, environmental issues, environmental conditions and other relevant information regarding environmental management, (ii) opportunities for citizens to provide input and comments about environmental issues and (iii) opportunities for citizens to exchange their ideas with others.