This study aimed to critically analyse the National Environmental Policy design process and citizen participation in Ethiopia, and to develop a framework that can improve citizen participation. At the outset, the study reviews theoretical and empirical evidence to identify the main discourses on public policy and citizen participation and to identify areas where it can make a new contribution. In contrast to most of the previous studies, convergent parallel mixed methods research design was employed to yield reliable and valid evidence, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the National Environmental Policy design process and citizen participation in Ethiopia.
The empirical investigation demonstrates that significant new environmental issues have gained higher recognition on the policy agenda. Nonetheless, the National Environmental Policy design process is dominated by an ideological, incremental, and elitist policy design approach, rather than by rational policy analysis. The process of generating and selecting policy options lacks the exploration of alternative policies and the evaluation of their consequences, with decisions often made under bounded rationality using a rule of thumb.
The study reveals that several national and international legal and policy frameworks guarantee citizens' individual and collective rights to fully participate in the policy design process. However, these policies do not clearly define the minimum norms and standards, and levels at which citizen participation can be implemented. Furthermore, they rarely establish strong legal accountability for government agencies that violate these provisions. Contrary to the constitutional right, the implementation of the charities and civil society’s proclamation by the government has disempowered and hindered civil society organisations from initiating and supporting participatory programs.
Despite the intention to consult citizens, the use of up-to-date informational and deliberative tools to facilitate dialogue with a broader and more inclusive representation of citizens from different demographics is lacking. The perceptions of public officials towards citizen participation and their familiarity with participatory tools were found to be limited. They rarely consider citizen participation beyond their immediate stakeholders. In general, the National Environmental Policy process is closed to egalitarian forms of policy design that provide substantive opportunities wherein citizens, alongside with state actors, engage in rational deliberation policy design process. This should be reinforced by a pragmatic, rational, participatory, and evidence-based policy design approach to overcome the trust deficit caused by lack of representation and an effective deliberation.
Dyondzo leyi yi kongomisiwile eka ku xopaxopa hi vukheta endlelo ro Dezayini Pholisi ya Rixaka ya Mbango na ku tekaxiave ka vaakitiko eEthiopia, na ku tumbuluxa rimba leri nga ta antswisa ku tekaxiave ka vaaki. Ekusunguleni, vumbhoni byo xopaxopa na byo kambisisa byi hleriwile ku kuma mimbulavulo ya nkoka hi pholisi ya mfumo na ku tekaxiave na ku kuma tindhawu leti dyondzo yi nga endlaka xiave xintshwa Hi ku hambana na tidyondzo totala ta nkarhi lowu hundzeke, dezayini ya ndzavisiso lowu hlanganisiweke yi tirhisiwile ku humesa vumbhoni byo tshembheka na lebyi faneleke, lebyi pfumelelaka nhlelo na nxopanxop lowu heleleke wa endlelo ro dezayini pholisi ya rixaka ya mbango na ku tekaxiave ka vaaki eEthiopia.
Ndzavisiso wa nkambisiso wu kombisa leswaku timhaka ta nkoka tintshwa ta mbango ti kumile ku tekeriwa enhlokweni kukulukumba eka ajenda ya pholisi. Hambiswiritano, endlelo ro Dezayina Pholisi ya Mbango ya Rixaka ri lawuriwa hi endlelo ra mavonelo, ra engetelo na ra xiyimo xa le henhla ro dezayina pholisi, ku nga ri hi nxopanxopo lowu twisisekaka wa pholisi. Endlelo ro tumbuluxa na ku hlawula swihlawulekisi swa pholisi ri kayivela mbalango wa tipholisi tin'wana na vuhleri bya mimbuyelo ya tona, na swiboho leswi tekiwaka ehansi ka ntwisiso lowu pimiweke hi ku tirhisa nawu wa ntolovelo
Dyondzo yi humesela erivaleni leswaku marimba yo hlayanyana ya nawu na pholisi ya rixaka na ya matiko ya misava ya tiyisisa timfanelo ta munhu na ta nhlanganelo eka vaakitiko ku va va tekaxiave hi xitalo eka endlelo ro dezayina pholisi. Hambiswiritano, tipholisi leti a ti hlamuseli hi ndlela ya le rivaleni mimpimo na swipimelo swa minimama na swiyenge leswi vutekaxiave bya vaaki byi nga ta tirhisiwa eka swona. Ku yisa emahlweni a ti tali ku tumbuluxa vutihlamuleri bya nawu bya matimba eka tiejensi ta mfumo leti onhaka swinawana leswi. Ku hambana na mfanelo ya vumbiwa, ku simekiwa ka xitiviso xa minhlangano ya vupfuni na minhlangano ya vaaki hi mfumo swi hungutile matimba na ku kavanyeta minhlangano ya vaaki ku suka eka ku sungula na ku seketela minongoloko ya vutekaxiave.
Handle ka xikongomelo xo tihlanganisa na vaakitiko, ku tirhisiwa ka mahungu ya nkarhi wa sweswi na switirho swo kanela ku kondletela mbulavurisano na vuyimeri byo anama na byo katsa vaakitiko ku suka eka tidemogirafiki to hamnanahambana swa pfumaleka. Mavonelo ya vatirhi va mfumo eka ku tekaxiave ka vaakitiko na ku titoloveta ka vona switirho swo tekaxiave swi kumekile swi pimiwile. A va tali ku tekela enhlokweni ku tekaxiave ka vaakitiko ku tlula vakhumbheki va vona va le kusuhi. Hi ku angarhela, endlelo ra Pholisi ya Mbango ya Rixaka ri lava ku fana na tinxaka ta dezayini ya pholisi yo ringana leti nyikaka swivandlanene laha vaakitiko, xikan'we na vanghenisi va xandla va mfumo, va nghenelelaka eka nkanelo lowu twisisekaka.
