Meaningful Participation and Ecological Justice in Environmental Law: A Four-Jurisdiction Comparative Study

Atikah Mardhiya Rohmy; Hashem Hassan; Arini Indah Nihayaty; Rio Febriannur Rachman

doi:10.15642/siyar.2026.6.2.270-294

Authors

Atikah Mardhiya Rohmy Murta Media Karya
Hashem Hassan Africa International University, Khartoum
Arini Indah Nihayaty Institut Bahri Asyiq Galis Bangkalan, Bangkalan, Indonesia
Rio Febriannur Rachman Universitas Negeri Surabaya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15642/siyar.2026.6.2.270-294

Keywords:

Comparative legal analysis, Ecological justice, Environmental law, Forest governance, Meaningful participation

Abstract

This article examines meaningful participation as a structural mechanism for advancing ecological justice in environmental and forest governance. Exclusionary governance has produced persistent inequalities for Indigenous and rural communities whose participation remains largely procedural. This study analyzes the gap between normative participatory commitments and their substantive implementation across four jurisdictions — Indonesia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union — using a qualitative Systematic Literature Review of peer-reviewed scholarship, legal instruments, and policy documents. Findings reveal significant institutional variation: Indonesia exhibits centralized authority and weak accountability; New Zealand institutionalizes ecological justice through the legal personhood of Te Urewera and the Whanganui River; the United Kingdom demonstrates procedural transparency without redistributive impact; the European Union provides multilevel participatory architecture with uneven equity outcomes. The study argues that meaningful participation requires structural guarantees of recognition, accountability, and empowerment — not procedural inclusion alone — and offers conceptual tools for reforming environmental law in contexts marked by power asymmetries and ecological degradation.

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