Environmental Activism in Provincial China

[Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, Vol. 15/1 (2013): 89-108. ] Environmental activism and non-governmental organization (NGO) are not limited to major cities but has gradually taken roots in provincial and local politics in China. This paper compares the development and characteristics of environmental activism in Guangdong province and Guangxi autonomous region, with the aim of shedding light on the causes of regional disparities in this field. With extensive and strong ties to peer organizations across issue areas within the province, grassroots environmental groups in Guangdong have grown as an integral part of local civil society. They have survived, through mutual support, on a larger scale than those in Guangxi. Also, recent institutional reforms in social management and environmental protection introduced by the provincial government have created new room for environmental activists and NGOs. The paper thus challenges the argument that over-emphasizes the domination of the state and points out both the overall maturity of the civil society sector and the institutional space for public participation at the provincial level contribute to uneven development of environmental activism across locations.