Good environmental governance is necessary to achieve the sustainable use of resources and the protection of environmental quality. For this to be achieved there needs to be a transparent and good working system of well-functioning environmental institutions, policies, and programs that actively involve the public in their formulation and implementation.  But environmental governance is often weak due to ineffective and inefficient institutions, unrealistic environmental standards (regulatory and management frameworks that are often 'imported' from developed countries), weak judicial systems, limited participation of local communities and the public, and lack of technical capacity.

This subprogram is part of WBI’s Environment and Natural Resources Management Program to develop capacity among individuals and institutions that influence environmental and natural resources management. It aims to foster a culture that encourages compliance with environmental laws and regulations. It provides training, advisory services, and networking support to strengthen the institutional capacity necessary to achieve effective implementation of, compliance with, and enforcement of environmental regulations. In addition, a recent area of focus has been on the development of pilot programs on environmental compliance and enforcement indicators