Towards participatory environmental management?

While the mainstream approach to environmental management (EM) has tended t o be centralized, adopting a narrow conception of 'environment', there is a growing body of literature supporting a participatory approach which is de centralized, community oriented and holistic in its view of the environment . This paper examines the main principles underlying this development and a ssesses the opportunities and constraints associated with it. It concludes that, while participation is conducive to a localized and inclusive approac h to EM, many questions remain about the extent to which it is meaningful i n practice or can be institutionalized. (C) 2001 Academic Press.