Environmental Governance

NIVA also has specific and unique expertise and skills to conduct research on the development and implementation of environmental governance itself. We compare governance systems, explore alternative ways of governing, and we analyse the values, narratives and power relations underpinning them. This research is developed on a shared understanding that environmental governance should ensure sustainable management of natural resources, reconcile competing needs and interests, and recognize diverse perspectives and knowledge forms.  

What is Environmental Governance? 

Environmental governance covers the landscape of actors, approaches, and systems that manage the environment, ecosystems and natural resources. It refers to processes of collective decision-making, planning, deliberating, and capacity building both within and outside of formal regulations and institutions. 

What does NIVA do? How does NIVA approach the topic? 

NIVA holds expertise across a broad range of disciplines on how people, culture, the economy and environment affect each other, and which values, perspectives and knowledge are and should be reflected in environmental governance. We lead, take part in, and provide input to research projects that interact with multiple levels of governance. 

NIVA has actively engaged in the intergovernmental negotiations committee meeting towards a global plastic treaty (Plastic Treaty),and led several international capacity building projects supporting the implementation of the Minamata and Stockholm conventions (e.g. INOPOL). Our work on ocean accounts and ecosystem accounts is directly relevant to monitoring frameworks under the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. (Link : )Regionally, we are involved in EU projects on policy coherence in governance of coastal and marine systems, sea level rise, and protected areas (CrossGov).

We also conduct research and capacity development projects in India and the ASEAN region concerning governance of plastic pollution (ASEANO 2) and marine and coastal ecosystem accounting (INECO)

NIVA is also active in the Arctic with research contributing to good Arctic governance, collaboration between sectors and the protection of important ecosystems and functions, and the communities depending on these (BLUEMISSION AA ). 

Within Norway, NIVA has strong relationships with local levels of government and impacted communities and practitioners, and works on environmental governance and management projects in several of Norway’s regional sea and coastal basins, including the Oslo fjord and Skagerrak (MAREA)

In our projects on environmental governance, we use methods such as semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, stakeholder and network mapping, facilitated workshops, participatory mapping, desktop literature reviews, qualitative analysis, modelling, capacity building, empirical case study work, and policy analysis. Across our approaches we incorporate principles of equity, justice, participation, and inclusion. 

Why is this work important? 

Strong environmental governance is holistic and inclusive, and considers many different, and often competing and conflicting, needs and priorities as they relate to the environment and natural resources. They can lead to better and more sustainable management as well as ensuring a more equitable distribution of costs and benefits associated with environmental decision making. Effective environmental governance is also crucial for the implementation of and compliance with adopted laws and rules. On the other hand, weak environmental governance is reductive and exclusive and fails to protect ecosystems and the human communities that rely on them. 

Contact us if you want to know more about how we work in this area.