Environment and the State

This entry explores the nature of the relationship between states and the environment. In doing so it analyzes the history of state–environmental relations in different geographical contexts and introduces key theoretical frameworks that can help us understand these relations in new ways. Particular emphasis is given to the role of the state in managing environmental externalities and the ways in which environmental issues challenge the form and functions of states. This entry explores the different ways in which it is possible to understand states and environments, and how these different perspectives can enable us to see various ways in which environments and states are connected.