The road to environmental participatory governance in Taiwan: collaboration and challenges in incineration and municipal waste management. Issue 10 (3rd October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wong, Natalie W.M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental planning and management. Volume 60:Issue 10(2017)
• Page Start: 1726
• Page End: 1740
• Publication Date: 2017-10-03
• Subjects: Taiwan -- incinerator -- municipal waste -- environmental governance -- participation; City planning -- Periodicals; City planning -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Regional planning -- Periodicals; Regional planning -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 333.7
• DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2016.1251400
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0964-0568

Abstract

Abstract : Waste management has been a problem for Taiwanese society over the past two decades due to rapid economic growth and urbanisation. The building of incinerators, however, has stimulated controversies and social discontent over the impacts of incineration on both environmental and human health. In Beitou, a district in the capital city of Taiwan, not-in-my-backyard activism was launched against the building of an incinerator, but the community later promoted the idea of a 'zero-waste city' and played a role in the decision by Taipei's government. Using in-depth qualitative interview methods to interview local community actors, and green society members to understand the dynamics between actors, this research discusses these changes and employs the participatory governance approach to networks among residents of the local community and other actors. This paper also concludes that there has been a power shift in state–citizen relationships at the local level, deepening and consolidating democratic politics in Taiwan.