Environmental NGOs in Emerging Democracies: Obstacles to Effective Action

Abstract

Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) play an important role in environmental governance. However, ENGO activity does not always lead to favorable outcomes. This paper highlights the ways in which neoliberal economic reforms and governance deficits constrain ENGO effectiveness through a case study of Georgia — an emerging democracy that has attracted considerable external funding in the environmental domain. We analyze representative household survey data on environmental attitudes and conduct interviews with ENGO representatives and other key informants to show how many Georgian ENGOs are able to create a fa¸cade of successful activities for the country’s donors, while not contributing to meaningful environmental outcomes at the local level. The case study further illustrates the implications of Georgia’s business-government nexus, which censors criticism by genuine ENGOs, while leading others to take lucrative contracts for environmental impact evaluations. These findings have important implications for efforts by external actors working to promote environmental governance.