Strengthening Youth Participation in EnvironmentalGovernance: A Comparative Study of Thailand and India
Keywords:
Youth participation; sustainable development; environmental governance; Thailand; India; community participation.Abstract
Youth involvement is gaining ground as an integral part of good governance for the environment and sustainable development. But legal and policy structures do not automatically guarantee participation in environmental decision-making. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the legal and institutional frameworks in Thailand and India for youth engagement in environmental governance at the community level and, to the extent possible, the actual mechanisms of engagement.
The study applies a comparative analytical framework that combines constitutional texts, governmental policies, judicial rulings, institutional frameworks, and studies of particular cases in the context of Thailand and India. It investigates how far current structures are able to help youth to participate symbolically or to have an impact on environmental decision-making. The
study also highlights the major constraints that hinder the implementation of these policies, such as the lack of institutional power, lack of resources, lack of implementation mechanisms, and limited opportunities for youth to influence decisions and access environmental resources.
The paper concludes that the only way to capture meaningful youth participation is to provide legal recognition. Institutional mechanisms that give young people a real voice in environmental decision-making, access to resources, and the ability to contribute to policy implementation are needed to enable effective participation. The study draws lessons on how to enhance youth
agency and build more participatory and inclusive environmental governance from the experiences of Thailand and India.
References
1. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Youth Strategy: Thailand (Bangkok:
UNDP Thailand, 2023).
2. Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, B.E. 2560 (2017), Articles 52, 67.
3. Ministry of Social Development, National Youth Development Plan 2022-2027
(Bangkok: Government of Thailand, 2022).
4. Prachataienglish.com, "The What, Where, and How of Children and Youth Councils"
(Online: 2024).
5. Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, Environmental Impact Assessment
Process in Thailand (Bangkok: Government of Thailand, 2020).
6. Constitution of India, Article 21 (1950); M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, 1988 SCR (1)
819.
7. M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, 1988 SCR (1) 819 (India).
8. Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Legal Barriers to Youth Environmental Activism in India
(New Delhi: Vidhi Legal, 2023).
9. The Environment (Protection) Act, No. 29 of 1986 (India), Section 21.
10. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, EIA Notification 2006 (amended
2014) (New Delhi: Government of India, 2014).
11. Faculty Adda, "Local Self-Governance in India: 73rd & 74th Amendments," (Online:
2025).
12. National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Youth ACT Framework: Youth-led Climate
Action in Indian Cities (New Delhi: NIUA, 2024).
13. Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Legal Barriers to Youth Environmental Activism (New
Delhi: 2023).
14. Bangkok Tribune, "Rights to Natural Resources and the Environment under Thailand's
Constitutions," (Bangkok: 2024).
15. National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Youth ACT Framework (New Delhi: NIUA,
2024).
16. Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Ward Committees as Invited Spaces
(Bangalore: ISEC, 2023).
17. Banpu Public Company Limited, The Power Green Camp: 20 Years of Environmental
Leadership (Bangkok: Banpu, 2023).
18. Ibid
19. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Echoes of the Earth: Youth Voices
Guiding Responsible Business in Thailand (Bangkok: UNDP, 2025).
20. YourStory, "8 Youth-led Movements Reshaping India's Climate Future" (Online: October
2025).
21. Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Legal Barriers to Youth Environmental Activism (New
Delhi: 2023).
22. Pune Municipal Corporation, Youth Environmental Council: Institutional Framework
(Pune: PMC, 2023); Bangalore City Corporation, Ward Committee Environmental
Engagement Report (Bangalore: BCC, 2022).
23. Research on meaningful youth engagement, Academia.edu (2018); Moving Beyond
Tokenism sources (2022-2024).
24. Prachataienglish.com, "The What, Where, and How of Children and Youth Councils"
(Online: 2024).
25. Moving Beyond Tokenism: Practical Recommendations for Meaningful Engagement,
Multiple Sources (2022-2024).
26. Royal Thai Government Auditing Office, Report on Youth Councilor Operations
(Bangkok: 2023); ISEC, Ward Committees (Bangalore: 2023).
27. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, National Youth Policy 2021 (New Delhi:
Government of India, 2021).
28. Ibid
29. Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, Thailand EIA Process (Bangkok:
2020).
30. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, National Youth Policy 2021 (New Delhi: 2021);
NIUA, Youth ACT Framework (New Delhi: 2024).
31. Moving Beyond Tokenism sources, Multiple (2022-2024).
32. NIUA, Youth ACT Framework (New Delhi: 2024).
33. Ibid
34. Multiple sources on transparency in youth participation (2023-2024).
