Environmental Governance: Policy Discourse, Deliberative Practices, and Public Participation
This conference focuses on the interplay among policy discourses, deliberative practices, public participation and environmental governance. It examines how policy publics, politicians, citizens and other communities can influence governmental decisions, and vice versa. In particular, it focuses on these interactions in the context of the uncertainties that have been created by the rise of populism and the apparent irrationalities across different governance regimes, including the phenomenon of post-truth politics.

The conference seeks to draw attention to the various environmental crises, especially those related to climate change–the challenge of this century. Granted that strong responses from ordinary citizens are required, including environmental movements, effective environmental governance also depends on knowledge and expertise. However, these processes are not only fraught with scientific and policy uncertainties, they take place within a turbulent political environment, including its multiple confrontations with politics of climate denial and post-truth. It is therefore not surprising that both the problems and their sustainable solutions are often wicked and messy.

Topics explored in this conference include: environmental governance, public discourse deliberation, communications, public participation, public behaviour (e.g., blame, resilience, tolerance, robustness), and narratives (e.g. issues of information asymmetries). We also welcome papers that critically examine the extent to which the climate of “alternative facts” and post-truth politics has influenced policy-making.

This conference is broadly framed and welcomes all papers from a wide range of disciplines. Comparative papers are especially welcome. A summary of the topics of interest in this conference is as follows:

1. Environmental governance (including climate change)

2. Environmental sustainability discourses

3. Environmental knowledge and expertise

4. Post-truth and alternative facts

5. Citizen and public participation

6. Public narratives and policy argumentation

7. Policy design and deliberative practices

8. Political apathy and blame avoidance

The conference, comprising two days of paper presentations (Jan 29-30, 2020), will be followed by a discussion (on the morning of Jan 31) on conference findings and contributions by the Critical Policy Studies journal.

Paper proposal submissions are to be made to iwp_admin@nus.edu.sg by October 31, 2019. The submission must include a title and an abstract of no more than 300 words, as well as the full name, institutional affiliation, and email of all authors. Please also indicate the topic(s) of interest (e.g., “#5. Citizen and public participation”) that the paper aims to cover. The submission can also include new topics not enumerated above.

Only successful applicants will be contacted by late November 2019. Successful applicants also need to submit a draft paper of between 5,000 and 8,000 words by January 17, 2020. *Only previously unpublished papers or those not already committed elsewhere can be accepted.

This conference is supported by Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. It is organized in association with the Critical Policy Studies journal.

For queries regarding this conference, please email the administrator at: iwp_admin@nus.edu.sg

Conference Conveners
Professor Frank Fischer | Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies Potsdam and Humboldt University, Berlin
Associate Professor Leong Ching | Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
Dr. Corinne Ong | Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore