PhD Candidates
Mahito (Heat) Shindo
I have studied Environmental Policy (BA, Kyoto University; MA, University of Sussex) and Natural Resource Economics (MSc, Kyoto University). In the previous degrees, I analysed the structure and the mechanism of the governmental overdevelopment in Japan which caused the destruction of a biologically important wetland.
My PhD thesis attempts to reveal the contribution of the office of the Ombudsman to the goal of environmental good governance, focusing on its ability to ensure equity in environmental conservation. The enhancing importance of collective and communal rights in environmental decision-making process and their realisation through amendment of the individual rights based legal framework occupy the centre of my academic interest.
My working experience both in the governmental and the non-governmental sectors convinces me that the independent audit mechanism on the governmental administration is vital not only to improve the quality of environmental governance, but also to prevent unnecessary biological losses.
My supervisor is Professor Michael Jeffery, QC, Director of the Centre
for Environmental Law.