Professor Danny Unger of Northern Illinois University will be speaking this Thursday, September 20, on “Tackling Tough Decisions in a Democracy: Natural Resource Policy-Making in Thailand.” The lecture is at 4:30 PM in the Freeman Center for East Asian Studies.
Democracy is sometimes said to be associated with stronger protections against environmental degradation. Thailand’s environmental regime has become stronger since 1990, and its policy processes have become generally more participatory since the year 2000. The accompanying environmental gains have been uneven, however, and in some cases have been associated with authoritarian interludes rather than with democratic politics. What can the case of Thailand tell us about the conditions under which democracy contributes to preserving the environment.
You are cordially invited to attend Professor Unger’s talk.