Public Participation in Water Governance in China

Abstract

Water governance can be considered complex processes in which various actors with different interests discuss, deliberate and negotiate problem analysis and solution-finding to water issues. For a country without a mature representative democracy like China, the development of public participation mechanisms is of great importance. This chapter focuses on public participation. It discusses whether China's current regulations have offered the public opportunities to participate. It not only looks exclusively at public participation in China's water law, but also examines public participation obligations in environmental law which has a bearing on the governance of China's freshwater resources.