The role of civil society in urban environmental rehabilitation: a case study (Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, Vietnam)

Abstract

This paper presents the first results of research on a participatory approach to environmental rehabilitation in Thanh Xuan district in Hanoi, Vietnam, that is part of a larger research project that also included four other case studies. The researchers had two main objectives: first, to identify the civil society actors within a socialist, centralized regime where public participation is quite limited; and second, to assess the role of these actors in performing urban environmental management activities – planning and monitoring, urban environmental services delivery, and urban environmental conflict resolution. Findings from the Thanh Xuan case study suggest that members of the organizations that took part benefited from their participation in the areas of training, empowerment and capacity development. However, the benefits did not seem sustainable, as they were the outcome of international aid and support, and few mechanisms existed to ensure their continuation.