ABSTRACT
The law alone cannot protect the environment. In order to be effective, laws must be clear and enforced consistently. This is only possible in countries where the rule of law is supported. In developing countries, the rule of law is often not supported, with potentially damaging results for the protection of the urban environment. This chapter seeks to show how efforts to improve access to justice can create more sustainable methods for securing the rule of law and, in particular, protecting the urban environment. The chapter uses the case of the southern Indian city of Bangalore to illustrate how successes and failures in supporting the rule of law and access to justice have affected the urban environment.
