Reflection Essay on Global Environmental Governance
The environment plays an essential role in the survival of humanity hence the rise of protection agencies against environmental destruction. Global environmental governance is the process of regulating the process of global environmental protection. Global environmental governance is a combination of organizations, procedures, financing mechanisms, rules, policy instruments, and norms. There are various organizations that directly or indirectly aid in global environmental governance; the organization can be local or international such as amnesty international. Such organizations help protect the environment in various ways; through directly getting involved in the protection of the environment or protecting those who protect the environment. Despite the aid given by these organizations, there tend to be weaknesses; areas the organization can improve on to be more efficient in environmental protection. The shortcomings of the organizations can be improved and in the process, allow the organization offers better environment protection and governance.
Amnesty International is an international organization that protects earth defenders. Amnesty International is a not for profit organization that aims to protect the human rights of different activists, including those who protect the environment. The people who protect the environment are at the highest level of risk; they often lose their lives in the process. Amnesty international comes in and offers international protection for those who protect the environment. Through protecting environmental activists, amnesty international enables the activists to take on environmental protection more boldly and prevent environmental destruction and degradation. There is, however, a weakness in the strategy used by amnesty international. Amnesty International focuses on the people protecting the environment instead of focusing on the environment. The organization is limiting its capability by focusing on a smaller part of environmental governance. There are ways the organization can improve its strategy and increase its impact on environmental governance.
Countries that only rely on people to fight for environmental protection are at risk of losing their natural environment. Reliance on people to protect the environment is limiting. People can be convinced through the use of force, money, manipulation, or blackmail to abandon their participation in environmental protection. Should a country only rely on people to fight for environmental protection, the country can easily fall victim to environmental degradation once a majority of the people are diverted from the fight. Amnesty international protects only the people involved; the organization would be powerless if no people are fighting for proper environmental governance in a country. The weakness can be improved by focusing on more than the people. International organizations such as amnesty international can liaise with local environmental protection agencies and government bodies to protect the environment and recruit more people to fight for proper environmental governance.
Environmental governance is a tedious process that requires persistence and resources. The existence of organizations that fight for proper environmental governance makes the process much easier and safer. An organization as amnesty international ensures maximum safety for those involved in environmental protection and governance, and the process enhances environmental governance. Though such organizations have weaknesses, some changes can be made to lower the weaknesses and strengthen the organizations. Amnesty International can be strengthened through collaboration with local institutions and government bodies. Relying on the people alone to protect the environment is limiting and not as effective as including government bodies and local organizations. Environmental governance has made significant changes in the way people use the environment resulting in environmental preservation.
