India: Strengthening Environmental Institutions

To strengthen the implementation of environmental policies in India a draft report, entitled “India: Strengthening Institutions for Sustainable Growth”, prepared by the the World Bank and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)  was discussed with NGOs and civil society groups from across the country at a one day workshop held in New Delhi on July 7, 2006.

Some 35 participants from 16 organizations participated in the discussions. The workshop was chaired by Prof. Jayantha Bandyopadhyay of the Centre for Development and Environment Policy, IIM Calcutta. Prof Shekhar Singh (Convenor, National Campaign for Peoples Right to Information) facilitated and moderated the proceedings.

Report

The report outlines India's environmental challenges in the industry, highways, and power sectors which are the key drivers of economic growth. It reviews the environmental policies, regulations, and institutions that are currently in place to address these challenges.

The study also identifies the best national and international practices, presents case studies of implementation experiences across seven states  - Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttaranchal - and outlines an agenda for moving forward, highlighting the importance of strong and effective environmental institutions for India's development.

Discussions

The New Delhi workshop provided a platform for discussion and feedback on the five main themes that emerged from the study:

·         Facilitating national dialogue and public participation

·         Expanding the regulatory toolkit to enable environmental compliance

·         Strengthening capacity of environmental agencies to meet growing demands

·         Aligning incentives with environmental priorities

·         Working across sectors

NGO workshop proceeding with comments (488 kb.pdf)

Final Report

The Final Report includes feedback from these consultations. (821 kb.pdf)