Greenwatch promotes access rights and public participation through:

1. Carrying out policy research and advocacy on key emerging environmental issues.
2. Information dissemination aimed at providing the public and grass root communities with information on environmental rights, laws and policies that assist the communities to participate in decision-making processes that impact on their environment. 
3. Publishing of books on environmental law, case book on environmental law, community tool guides and project reports.
4. Public interest litigation (PIL). PIL is legal action (instituting a case or bringing a matter before a court of law) by someone who is not necessarily suffering the harm, injustice or breach of right(s)  for or on behalf of someone else who has suffered or is suffering harm, injustice or breach of one’s right(s). PIL has been an instrumental tool in the enforcement of the right to a clean and healthy environment. You can access cases instituted by Greenwatch here

Access to information

Greenwatch in partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and International Development Research Council (IDRC) participated in The Access of Information in Africa Project (ATI in Africa Project). Access full report here

Access to justice

We know from experience gained over the last 25 years of environmental advocacy and protection that access to justice goes beyond enabling one’s access to courts or being able to have legal representation. People must recognize that they have rights (in this case environmental rights), they must be aware of these rights and know how to claim for their rights and what remedies are available to them in situations where these rights have been violated. Greenwatch has through Public Interest Litigation (PIL) instituted several environmental law cases. You can find some of the cases instituted by Greenwatch here. Through training of judicial officers Greenwatch has been able to build the capacity of the Judiciary in adjudicating environmental related disputes. lawyers and law enforcement officers have also been trained to increase their awareness of environmental laws, rights and obligations. In order to promote access to courts Greenwatch provides environmental legal aid and counsel and is in the process of registering an environmental law clinic.