Interaction Between Digital Governance and Environmental Justice
Keywords:
Digital governance, Environmental justice, Sustainable development, Open data, Institutional transparency, Digital sustainabilityAbstract
Objective: This study aims to conceptualize and analyze the interaction between digital governance and environmental justice through a systematic qualitative review.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative review employed a descriptive–analytical design using NVivo version 14 for data management. Data were collected through a systematic literature review of 12 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025 in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Springer, and ScienceDirect. Thematic analysis was conducted through open, axial, and selective coding to identify key categories and relationships among concepts. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached.
Findings: The thematic analysis revealed three major categories: (1) digital governance infrastructures including data-driven policymaking, cybersecurity, and legal frameworks; (2) digital environmental justice encompassing equitable resource distribution, informational justice, and civic participation; and (3) the synergy between digital governance and environmental justice emphasizing the reciprocal role of technology, ethics, and policy in sustainability. The findings indicated that technologies such as IoT, big data, and blockchain can promote environmental equity when implemented transparently and ethically.
Conclusion: The study concludes that achieving environmental justice in the digital era requires transparent technological infrastructures, equitable data governance, and participatory digital systems. Digital governance contributes to sustainability only when justice, accountability, and ethics are embedded within technological frameworks. This synergy provides the foundation for a new paradigm of justice-oriented digital governance to guide future policy development.
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