Perspectives on Citizens’ Participation in Environmental Conservation Activities: A Case Study of Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Environmental conservation activities at the local scale are promoted as grassroots activities that are closely connected to the daily lives of local people. However, there is a need to recontextualize participatory environmental conservation activities so that they effectively address transnational issues such as climate change. This study explores how participation in environmental conservation activities is linked to existing social capital in each district of Munakata city, in Fukuoka Prefecture, where the “Tsurikawa Cleanup Operation,” a participatory citizens’ environmental conservation initiative, is being implemented. An analysis of three selected districts revealed that irrespective of whether this initiative was premised on “logical thinking” or “local orientation” existing bonding social capital within the districts facilitated communication among local people and fostered their acceptance of social issues, which in turn led to behavioral changes. Furthermore, by strengthening bridging social capital between districts and with some levels of government as well as academic institutions, citizen-engaging initiatives were recontextualized in each district, leading to the proactive and spontaneous proliferation of environmental conservation activities.