Challenges of Local Government, Environmental Justice, Sustainable Development: The Case of Qellem Wollega Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Currently, environment related problem is becoming a burning issue for every individuals and group of people living in the globe irrespective of our background as we have only one world that can’t be replaced by another one. We don’t have a reserve world therefore the only chance that we have is conserving it. Therefore, different scholars today have taken up to come across possible remedies as the issue is multidisciplinary in its nature. This problem is also visible in Ethiopian society at local level. One way of tackling environmental problem is giving attention to the impacts of environmental injustice on sustainable development. Therefore, this research tries to assess challenges of local government in storing up environmental justice to realize sustainable development. The main finding of this research is that the local government has less contribution in storing up environmental justice to realize sustainable development in the given areas. There is no enough awareness creation from government side regarding resettlement policy in a way that the re-settlers are not friendly treating their environment. Re-settlers are doing injustice on old settlers, future generations, living and non-living things, and on themselves since they have over-exploited natural resources in concerned areas. I used both primary and secondary datum to carry out this research. I suggest that concerned government bodies, civil societies or non-governments organizations should play their part to alleviate the problems.