Environmental Protection Efforts Under Communism And Democracy: Public Involvement and Political Influence

Abstract

Limited enforcement of environmental protection laws and minimal public involvement in the formerly communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe were potentially two major contributing factors to the large-scale environmental degradation that these countries have experienced. The rise of democracy in these countries has possibly prompted greater public involvement, leading to increased enforcement. This paper studies both of these possibilities by examining the enforcement of water protection laws and public involvement in this process for the Czech Republic from 1988 to 1992, which spans the communist and democratic periods. Additionally, it explores the possibility that economic entities wielded greater political influence on enforcement decisions under communism.