１． What person, group or organization is being profiled, and why are they of interest to this project?
The Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims (CLAPV) is a Chinese organization established in 1998, by professors of law from the China University of Political Science and Law. CLAPV focuses on environmental law and legal assistance to environmental pollution victims. They have worked on cases of air pollution victims (see analysis of cases in Chinese).
2. What have they done – through research, or a public health program or education forum, for example-- that illustrates how they have worked to improve air pollution governance and environmental public health?
They have worked in different areas such as:
- Law enforcement
- Raising awareness to the public
- Assistance and legal protection to pollution victims
- Research about environmental law
- Training to court officials
3. What timeline of events illustrates how this way of addressing environmental public health has developed?
1997-2006. Paradigmatic cases over private companies (link). 1998. CLAPV is founded as China´s first legal-aid center focused in pollution. 1999. Launched a free hot line for victims of environmental pollution. 2004 With the National People's Congress co-organized "International Seminar on compensation for environmental damage legislation" 2001-2007 Annual training for environmental lawyers and judges. 2007. International recognition to CLAPV's founder, Wang Canfa, as one of Time's 2007 ‘Heroes of the Environment' 2011. Beijing HuanzhuLaw Firm is created to support CLAPV's litigation work. 2015. Wang Canfa receives the annual prize 'China's law most influential person' (link in Chinese)
Organize the training 'Public litigation capacity for NGO under China's new Environmental Law' (link in Chinese)
4. Does this person, group or organization claim to have a new or unique way of addressing environmental public health? Does this approach point to or suggest problems with other approaches?
CLAPV's foundation inaugurated the participation of NGO in environmental pollution litigation in China. Until recently, this type of organization was unique, however, after the 2015 Environment Protection Law, more NGOs promoting this type of work is expected.
5. What data have they collected or used to support their approach to environmental public health? What visualizations of this data have been created?
According to the organization, until 2013 they have received more than ten thousand calls to advise environmental litigation.
CLAPV has pursue more than 300 environmental pollution cases.
6. What research has the organization produce or draw on on in their initiatives – in the last year, and over the last decade
The research CLAPV has done has resulted in improvement of China's environmental litigation.
7. What social ecology does this person, group or organization work within, and how did it shaped their way of conceiving and engaging asthma?
CLAPV started as a research institute associated to the academic institution, but as an NGO representing public's interest, they are connected to common citizens.On the other hand, their recognition (also internationally) has let them partner with international actors such as Ford Foundation, the National Resources Defense Council and the governments of Canada, Norway and Holland. Their influence has cross the NGO-Academic levels, and they have co-organized with governmental institutions training workshops, consultancy to legal and regulatory issues.
8. What events or data seem to have motivated their ways of thinking about and engaging environmental health?
Wang Cangfa, CLAPV's founder has told in several occasions that in 1995 he witnessed a cased in Jiangsu Province, where a local factory pollution led to massive die of ducks used by local peasants for their subsistence. The case was first presented by the peasants to the local court, who rejected it. Then Wang represented them and won the case. After that moment, he considered the possibility of creating an organization that could contribute with similar cases in China.
9. What funding enables their work and possibly shapes their way of thinking about environmental health?
Probably the issue of how CLAPV funding has been addressed by Rachel Stern's 'Environmental Litigation in China' (2013), which provided some of the organization funding partner over the years such as Ford Foundation. As Stern's explains, this money was used mainly in litigation and paying salaries, and also to invest on human capital to learn 'international perspective on environmental law' (2013, 183).
10. What in the history of this person, group or organization likely shaped the way they conceived or and engage environmental health?
Wang's first experience representing peasants (see question 8).
Hot line assistance over more than 15 years.
International networks and recognition.
11. What does this person, group or organization seem to find methodologically challenging or concerning in dealing with environmental health?
The impossibility of NGO to litigate against state representatives and institutions (who are sometimes responsible of environmental pollution inaction or offered protection to private companies).
Local influence of industries with governments and courts.
The weak power of Environmental Protection Bureaus in cities, which undermine the activity of defending the interests of citizens.
11. What kinds of governance are (implicitly or explicitly) called for in the way they think about environmental health?
CLAPV has contributed to create environmental governance in China through the rule of law in China. Their status as an NGO provide them with a level of independence from industrial or official interests, and their networks with international community legitimate their role as legitimately working for the public. Their experience has also let them influence in official decisions about new environmental laws and regulation in China. Their work does not pretend to create controversies or dichotomies with the Government, but to build a bridge between public interest and government legal work.
１． What person, group or organization is being profiled, and why are they of interest to this project?
The Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims (CLAPV) is a Chinese organization established in 1998, by professors of law from the China University of Political Science and Law. CLAPV focuses on environmental law and legal assistance to environmental pollution victims. They have worked on cases of air pollution victims (see analysis of cases in Chinese).2. What have they done – through research, or a public health program or education forum, for example-- that illustrates how they have worked to improve air pollution governance and environmental public health?
They have worked in different areas such as:- Law enforcement
- Raising awareness to the public
- Assistance and legal protection to pollution victims
- Research about environmental law
- Training to court officials
This article (link) has an account of their work.
3. What timeline of events illustrates how this way of addressing environmental public health has developed?
1997-2006. Paradigmatic cases over private companies (link).1998. CLAPV is founded as China´s first legal-aid center focused in pollution.
1999. Launched a free hot line for victims of environmental pollution.
2004 With the National People's Congress co-organized "International Seminar on compensation for environmental damage legislation"
2001-2007 Annual training for environmental lawyers and judges.
2007. International recognition to CLAPV's founder, Wang Canfa, as one of Time's 2007 ‘Heroes of the Environment'
2011. Beijing HuanzhuLaw Firm is created to support CLAPV's litigation work.
2015. Wang Canfa receives the annual prize 'China's law most influential person' (link in Chinese)
Organize the training 'Public litigation capacity for NGO under China's new Environmental Law' (link in Chinese)
4. Does this person, group or organization claim to have a new or unique way of addressing environmental public health? Does this approach point to or suggest problems with other approaches?
CLAPV's foundation inaugurated the participation of NGO in environmental pollution litigation in China. Until recently, this type of organization was unique, however, after the 2015 Environment Protection Law, more NGOs promoting this type of work is expected.5. What data have they collected or used to support their approach to environmental public health? What visualizations of this data have been created?
According to the organization, until 2013 they have received more than ten thousand calls to advise environmental litigation.
CLAPV has pursue more than 300 environmental pollution cases.
6. What research has the organization produce or draw on on in their initiatives – in the last year, and over the last decade
The research CLAPV has done has resulted in improvement of China's environmental litigation.
7. What social ecology does this person, group or organization work within, and how did it shaped their way of conceiving and engaging asthma?
CLAPV started as a research institute associated to the academic institution, but as an NGO representing public's interest, they are connected to common citizens.On the other hand, their recognition (also internationally) has let them partner with international actors such as Ford Foundation, the National Resources Defense Council and the governments of Canada, Norway and Holland. Their influence has cross the NGO-Academic levels, and they have co-organized with governmental institutions training workshops, consultancy to legal and regulatory issues.
8. What events or data seem to have motivated their ways of thinking about and engaging environmental health?
Wang Cangfa, CLAPV's founder has told in several occasions that in 1995 he witnessed a cased in Jiangsu Province, where a local factory pollution led to massive die of ducks used by local peasants for their subsistence. The case was first presented by the peasants to the local court, who rejected it. Then Wang represented them and won the case. After that moment, he considered the possibility of creating an organization that could contribute with similar cases in China.
9. What funding enables their work and possibly shapes their way of thinking about environmental health?
Probably the issue of how CLAPV funding has been addressed by Rachel Stern's 'Environmental Litigation in China' (2013), which provided some of the organization funding partner over the years such as Ford Foundation. As Stern's explains, this money was used mainly in litigation and paying salaries, and also to invest on human capital to learn 'international perspective on environmental law' (2013, 183).
10. What in the history of this person, group or organization likely shaped the way they conceived or and engage environmental health?
Wang's first experience representing peasants (see question 8).
Hot line assistance over more than 15 years.
International networks and recognition.
11. What does this person, group or organization seem to find methodologically challenging or concerning in dealing with environmental health?
The impossibility of NGO to litigate against state representatives and institutions (who are sometimes responsible of environmental pollution inaction or offered protection to private companies).
Local influence of industries with governments and courts.
The weak power of Environmental Protection Bureaus in cities, which undermine the activity of defending the interests of citizens.
11. What kinds of governance are (implicitly or explicitly) called for in the way they think about environmental health?
CLAPV has contributed to create environmental governance in China through the rule of law in China. Their status as an NGO provide them with a level of independence from industrial or official interests, and their networks with international community legitimate their role as legitimately working for the public. Their experience has also let them influence in official decisions about new environmental laws and regulation in China. Their work does not pretend to create controversies or dichotomies with the Government, but to build a bridge between public interest and government legal work.
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