Multi-stakeholder Co-governance and Economic Synergistic Development Model for Environmental Management in China's Rural Areas: East Asian Comparative Analysis Based on Triple Objectives of Environmental Justice, Policy Efficiency, and Economic Benefits

Abstract

Rural environmental regulation is one of the most crucial issues for sustainable development in rapidly industrializing countries. This work analyses the concept of multi-stakeholder co-governance in rural environment management within the context of East Asia, where comparisons are made and ample evidence is presented regarding the performance of each principality in areas of environmental justice, policy efficacy, and economic synergy. We examine the patterns of governance in China, Japan, and South Korea based on secondary data from official statistics and policy documents from 2009 to 2024. The Data Envelopment Analysis reveals a significant regional efficiency gap in China, with technical efficiency ranging from 0.434 to 0.797 across provinces. Analysis of seventy-four Chinese, fifteen Japanese, and twelve Korean governmental policies suggests some convergence, but considerable institutional variability. It has been concluded in our research that, although China has made significant strides in establishing environmental governance systems, the triple targets of environmental justice, policy effectiveness, and economic synergy cannot be realized until there are institutional reforms, such as improved stakeholder involvement systems, enhanced information platforms, and well-balanced policymaking tools. The research contributes to the analysis framework of holism in orthodox justice, examining it through the prism of instrumental efficiency and economic implications, and provides a viable approach to governance innovativeness in developing situations.