Escobar (2020) advocates for a pluriversal politics. What does this imply for environmental governance?

• A. There is a single universal model of development.
• B. A pluriverse should coexist; governance should support multiple knowledges.
• C. Global systems should be imposed everywhere.
• D. Local knowledge is inferior.

Answer: (B)

Pluriversal politics recognizes multiple worlds and knowledge systems as legitimate and coexisting. In environmental governance this means policy should be built on the idea that Indigenous, local, and scientific knowledges all have valid contributions to how we understand and manage ecosystems. Governance should create space for co-design, co-management, and decision-making that respect diverse epistemologies, power dynamics, and values across different communities. It rejects imposing a single universal development model or top-down global systems, and it values local practices and institutions as equally important. By embracing multiple ways of knowing and living with the environment, policies can be more equitable, context-sensitive, and adaptable to varied ecological and social realities.