Sustainable Gateways to Environmental Justice

Abstract

The law alone cannot protect the environment. In order to be effective, laws must be clear, and enforced consistently. This is only possible in countries where the rule of law is supported. In developing countries, the rule of law is often not supported, with potentially damaging results for the protection of the urban environment. The chapter seeks to show how efforts to improve access to justice can create more sustainable methods for securing the rule of law, and in particular, protecting the urban environment. The chapter uses the case of the South Indian city of Bangalore to illustrate how successes and failures in supporting the rule of law and access to justice have affected the urban environment.

Keywords: Law and urban change, Bangalore, access to justice, environment