Local Government and Sustainable Development /Post-2

Sustainability and Local Government

Within academic world and professional groups, there is agreement on the necessity for local governments to formulate and implement policies that are concerned with “sustainability”(Leuengerger and Bartle 2010, cited in Hawkins and Wang 2013, 63).Sustainable development  has been regarded as  a ‘guiding principle for local growth policies’  that changed from an attention  on  environmental questions to a more ‘integrated approach that consists of environmental, economic, and societal dimensions’ (Fiorino, 2010, cited in Hawkins and Wang 2013, 63,).

Sustainability from local government standpoint links human needs with environmental safety and is largely acknowledged as including socio-economic and environmental constituents (Krause,Feiock& Hawkins  2013).These three components have been  applied widely to structure research on local sustainability in multiple subjects, comprising public administration and policy ( Feiock and Coutts 2013 ;Bulkeley 2013; Krause,Feiock& Hawkins  2013).

Local governments are distinctively located to initiate a variety of activities that openly address sustainability and climate change. They also have mechanisms to address land use, energy efficiency, ecological-conservation, and carbon emissions through their role in ‘regulation and service delivery’.  However, in their struggles to do so, they have to face ‘challenges of scale, policy instrument design, and governance’ (Feiock and Coutts, 2013 ,4).

To spread the application of sustainability practices, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) approved Agenda 21 in 1992 as a ‘blueprint’ for environmentally sustainable growth. It inspires participation of UN member states to think through the environmental effects of their land, resources, and transportation improvement strategies (Krause,Feiock& Hawkins 2013).

Local government is crucial to successful sustainability practices. Of the 2,509 actions recognized in Agenda 21 to attain superior sustainability, almost two -thirds  stress on the active involvement of local government (Keen, Mahanty, and Sauvage, 2006; Krause,Feiock& Hawkins 2013). The role of local government requires taking responsibility ‘for introducing, interpreting, adapting and eventually implementing the most relevant aspects of Agenda 21 for their local communities” (UNCED 1992, 74; cited Saha 2009, 21).

To be continued-

Posted by-

S.M. Mehedi Hasan

BCS (Administration)

ID- 16194

27th Batch

Upazila Nirbahi Officer

Kishoreganj, Nilphamari

Bangladesh

Local Government and Sustainable Development /Post-1

Local Government and Sustainable Development 

                 ---S M Mehedi Hasan

Introduction:

Governments are likely to apply different types of devices such as policies, regulations, economic mechanisms to ensure sustainability practices. Local governments in this respect are essential due to their closeness to people and their better location in terms of understanding the necessities, challenges and prospects persuading peoples’ manner and practices that promote  ‘the transition to sustainable lifestyles, livelihoods and improved well-being’(Bakshi 2012,1).

Local government is also important to involve people with other levels of governance actors and bring together different stakeholders with diverse means and skills that match central governments’ policy to SD. This paper presents a definition of Local Government in terms of SD, examines its importance to making improvement towards SD, analyzes the issue of LGs that restrain or deliver opportunities to SD in Local Government efforts, reflects on the processes needed to make changes for SD relating LGs and finally gives a list recommendations for future strategic actions to design mechanisms to stimulate sustainable local governance.

What is Local Government?

Local Government is ‘political creature’ which is distinctively located to realize local requirements and offers delivery of services ‘on the ground’ (SDC 2012, 15).Its financial, legislative and policymaking authority ‘extends over the smallest geographical areas distinguished for administrative and political purposes’ (OECD 2007, 452). 

Local Government is formed to network the spirit of democracy from the central to the remote regions (Hasan 2013).It is further defined as the ‘democratically elected authority that exercises political choices within denoted boundaries’( John 2001,34). The spirit is that locally elected body will be in responsibility of local matters affecting local people. 

Local government is the governing authority that deals with the public affairs at the local levels ,steers administrative purposes in favor of national government, comes at the  door of the people to provide basic services giving better access to community groups, and allows people  to participate in decision-making process that affect them .Khan ( 2000, cited in Waheduzaman 2010) mentioned that decentralized local government institutions build political leadership, guarantee people’s participation, create accountable administration and implement people oriented development programs.

To be continued-

Posted by-

S.M. Mehedi Hasan

BCS (Administration)

ID- 16194

27th Batch

Upazila Nirbahi Officer

Kishoreganj, Nilphamari

Bangladesh