Natural Resources Governance

Natural Resources Governance

Conceptual Framework for Environmental Governance across Four Dimensions: Structural, Procedural, Executive and Normative

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Zainab almayyahi 1
Rokhshad hejazi 1
Zohreh karimmian 2
mojgan zaeimdar 1
Saeed Malmasi 1
1 Department of Environment, NT.c., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Management and Accounting, ST.c., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jnrg.2026.405744.1067
Abstract
With the intensification of environmental crises and the growing recognition of the inefficiency of traditional command-and-control models, the need to transition toward new governance paradigms has become increasingly evident. Accordingly, the present study was conducted with the aim of providing a conceptual and integrated framework across four dimensions: structural, procedural, operational, and normative. This study adopts a qualitative approach based on a systematic review and meta-synthesis of reputable international articles published between 2010 and 2025. Following the screening of sources, 40 articles were purposively selected, and their content was analyzed using MAXQDA software through three stages of coding: open, axial, and selective. Content analysis of the sources led to the extraction of more than 350 open codes, which were categorized into five core themes: institutional contexts, governance processes, implementation mechanisms, outcomes, and foundational normative principles. The findings indicate that effective environmental governance is the product of the interactive interplay of three components—transparency, accountability, and public participation—whose significance becomes meaningful within the context of institutional capacities, data-driven technologies, and multi-level coherence. The results further suggest that linking transparency policies with performance evaluation systems and green financial instruments, in addition to improving environmental quality, contributes to enhancing environmental justice, policy legitimacy, and social trust. The main innovation of this study lies in the simultaneous integration of values, instruments, and processes within a systematic framework that can serve as a roadmap for redesigning environmental policies for macro-level decision-makers.
Keywords
Environment
Environmental Crises
Governance
Procedural
Structural
Technology
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Natural Resources Governance
Volume 2, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 348-365