Environmental statecraft and changing spatial politics: Erhai Lake protection in China

Abstract

Studies on environmental governance have mainly focused on the relationship between local state, market, and community. However, how an environmental agenda is achieved by multi-scalar state actors and how these multi-scalar interventions reshape urban spatial politics have been understudied. This research investigates the protection of Erhai Lake in Dali, a third-tier city in Western China. Erhai Lake protection is a high-profile initiative proposed by the top leader. However, it is not only conducted through a top-down target-setting authoritarian system but has also invoked market and state interventions from various scales. Based on this case, we first reflect on statecraft in governing environmental sustainability in China, which manifested in mobilizing hybrid instruments to achieve the environmental goal. Second, environmental practices at the local scale do not municipalize environmental resources. Instead, the provincial-level state stands out in influencing local regulations and deploying state-owned enterprises to achieve environmental and economic ends. These actions peripheralize local city authorities in economic development, social management, and environmental assets management, undermining the entrepreneurial stance of the city government. This research contributes to understanding the co-evolution of urban spatial politics and environmental practices.