THE CHALLENGES OF EFFECTIVE PUBLIC MANAGEMENT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Purpose: The responsiveness of the state apparatus is being increased, in response to the global demands that citizens require to address their needs in areas such as health, education, transportation, and the environment. Method: The latter has been exacerbated by the arrival of the health crisis, which has drawn attention to the exploitation of natural resources and its impact on ecosystems. In the face of this, the literature review article aimed to analyze the challenges of effective public management in the fight against environmental pollution from a global perspective. It followed a qualitative approach and a systematic review type, supported by the PRISMA methodology. Results and Conclusion: The results yielded a total of 60 selected articles based on previously defined criteria, with 40.00% from Dialnet, 31.67% from Scopus, 16.67% from Scielo, 10.00% from Redalyc, and 1.67% from Taylor & Francis Online. Finally, it was concluded that these challenges respond to policies and regulations, human resources, integrated systems, research and technology support, environmental management measures, and monitoring and tracking. Research Implications: The implementation of actions favoring the environment through public management requires, in the first instance, officials whose profiles exhibit leadership skills and abilities that facilitate compliance with the regulations aimed at protecting the environment. Originality/value: The goal is to contribute to scientific knowledge in a subject that involves two significant aspects within public management or, more precisely, NPM: the environmental approach and the measures being taken to address the consequences of environmental pollution.


INTRODUCTION
The public administration has among its objectives the efficient management of the State's resources for the benefit of the population.To achieve this, a series of measures are established to address the primary needs through the development of projects of all kinds.This requires proper budgeting and the identification of the budget goal, aligned with the prioritization of a specific sector (such as health, transportation, electricity, education, food, among others) (Ávila et al., 2022;Chica-Vélez & Salazar-Ortiz, 2021;Cruz-Vargas & Díaz-Navarro, 2020).In recent years, public management has been incorporating various characteristics to adapt to global changes, including the implementation of technological tools for digital governance, the provision of managerial skills for successful and ethical institutional leadership, openness to listening and citizen participation, and the reengineering and optimization of processes.These advancements have led to what is known as the New Public Management (NPM) (Maita et al., 2022;Barragán, 2022;Soledispa et al., 2020;Salazar Sánchez et al., 2020)." New Public Management (NPM) has allowed the incorporation of various aspects that involve a comprehensive view of the world, and thereby being aware that any scenario can affect all economies, whether in the public or private sector.The latter can be a valuable ally in the quest for an effectively operating public system.Hence, the environmental approach represents a fundamental element in the functioning of any country, especially those in developing stages, as they often engage in the exploitation of natural resources through extractive or primary activities, generally serving as centers for the production and manufacturing of various products and/or services (Abdeljawad & Nagy, 2023).This, in turn, generates a series of consequences, which, depending on the level of impact on the environment, can lead to the degradation of ecosystems and the pollution of water, air, and soil, among others.Social conflicts also arise from affected communities, especially rural areas, whose quality of life is compromised (Fisher et al., 2022;Dumont & Cuadros, 2021;Glukhikh et al., 2021;Carrillo, 2020).
The implementation of actions favoring the environment through public management requires, in the first instance, officials whose profiles exhibit leadership skills and abilities that facilitate compliance with the regulations aimed at protecting the environment.It also demands management tools that allow the implementation of specific measures at different levels of government: national, regional, and local.It is crucial to start with the existence of public policies aimed at creating intervention mechanisms from the state apparatus to ensure the development of economic activities with previously reviewed and approved Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).This guarantees the minimization of pollution and the formulation of plans to mitigate the impact, protecting ecosystems as much as possible (Ávila et al., 2022;Mishra et al., 2022;Glukhikh et al., 2021;Rojas & Ponce, 2021;Barrero & Hernández, 2020).
The development of this literature review article aims to understand the challenges of public management in its effort to tackle environmental pollution.This perspective lacks scientific evidence, hence the interest in conducting a bibliographic analysis to date to understand how this effort or struggle has been addressed.The focus is on secondary scientific sources found in valuable databases.The goal is to contribute to scientific knowledge in a subject that involves two significant aspects within public management or, more precisely, NPM: the environmental approach and the measures being taken to address the consequences of environmental pollution.This has become particularly relevant after the experiences of the health crisis, highlighting the importance of having plans aimed at preserving the exploitation of natural resources, as this significantly affects public health.
The general objective is to analyze the challenges of effective public management in the fight against environmental pollution from a global perspective.The specific objectives are to a) substantiate the main dimensions involved in effective public management, and b) understand the dimensions involved in the fight against environmental pollution.Addressing these objectives will lead to a proposed intervention.

METHOD
Literature reviews or systematic reviews are characterized by enabling the understanding of a particular topic through the use of secondary sources, such as scientific studies disseminated in repositories or databases, found through automated search engines provided by web crawlers (Pardal-Refoyo, 2020;Moreno et al., 2018).Due to their nature, this type of intellectual output is attributed to the qualitative approach, which is explained by delving deeply and analytically into the manifestation of a particular phenomenon, describing its main characteristics or qualities (Guzmán, 2021).In this regard, the methodology will focus on the challenges of public management in the fight against environmental pollution from a global perspective.
As part of the procedure followed for data collection, the information search and selection were carried out using the PRISMA methodology (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis).This demanded the establishment of criteria aligned with the four phases of this methodology: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion.These corresponded to: (a) The acceptance period for documents starting from the year 2020 onwards, providing an updated focus on the subject.(b) Sourcing documents from reputable scientific databases and prestigious virtual libraries, ensuring the audibility and accuracy of the chosen sources.(c) Documents published in Spanish and other languages like English to widen the scope of bibliography sources.(d) Documents containing words or phrases associated with the variables of effective public management and the fight against environmental pollution, allowing their selection as they fall within the thematic focus of interest.
The processing started by discarding documents that indicated: (a) Publication dates before the year 2020, as they exceeded the considered interval for current content.(b) Incomplete or cut documents in necessary sections for understanding the study.(c) Documents published in scientific journals lacking indexing in recognized databases or virtual libraries.(d) Documents addressing themes that, despite a potential association with the variables at first glance, upon detailed reading, deviated from the thematic scope and/or objectives of this literature review.According to the above, information sources included: Scopus, Scielo, Redalyc, Dialnet, and Taylor & Francis Online.
The use of keywords and phrases like "effective public management," "new public management," "successful public administration," "environmental pollution," and "contaminated natural resources," along with their English translations, facilitated the initial document search.Further refinement came with the use of Boolean operators with phrases such as ["effectiveness" AND "public management"], ["operational management" AND "public management"], ["strategies" AND "public management"], ["citizen participation" AND "public management"], ["pollution" AND "types"], ["pollution" AND "classes"], and ["environmental culture" AND "pollution"], resulting in a larger selection of bibliography.However, subsequent application of the criterion for source age reduced the quantity to a total of 125 articles.
From the initial 125, further filtering based on the previously described criteria resulted in 60 articles, 30 per variable.The distribution was as follows: Scopus with 19 documents (2 for effective public management and 17 for pollution); Redalyc with 6 documents (2 for effective management and 4 for pollution); Scielo with 10 documents (6 for each variable); Dialnet with 24 documents (19 for management and 5 for pollution); and finally, Taylor & Francis Online with one document for effective public management.Subsequently, all the documents were listed using the Zotero bibliography manager, followed by a preliminary and detailed reading to synthesize the operationalization of each variable and their respective components (dimensions, sub-dimensions, and indicators).The year, language, country, and type of publication for each document were described, and then the stated objectives of this literature review were addressed, along with a brief proposal for improvement concerning the identified main problem.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
With the penultimate criterion applied, 101 articles were initially recorded.However, after the final filter, a total of 60 articles were obtained, with 30 for the effective public management variable and 30 for the fight against environmental pollution variable.These articles were sourced as follows: 40.00% from the virtual library Dialnet, 31.67% from the Scopus database, 16.67% from Scielo, 10.00% from Redalyc, and 1.67% from Taylor & Francis Online.Considering the year of publication, 36.67% were from 2022, 33.33% from 2020, 26.67% from 2021, and 3.33% from 2023.Regarding language, 65% were originally in Spanish, and 35% were in English.
Considering the countries of origin for the analyzed documents, these stemmed from American countries such as Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico, as well as other nations including China, Russia, the Philippines, India, Ghana, South Africa, and Algeria.It's worth mentioning that most of the selected documents covered global contexts.This is significant as it formed the basis for this literature review, thereby prioritizing research involving regions or continents.Finally, it's noted that among the scientific articles, the majority were of the original type, while others were systematic reviews.The graphic representation of the PRISMA methodology application, which led to the selection of 60 articles, is presented in Figure 1.

Main dimensions involving public management
Effective public management, as part of the main dimensions converging, according to the majority of the analyzed bibliography, encompasses four dimensions: strategic management, operational management, economic management, and social management.Strategic management involves a series of actions aimed at fulfilling the ultimate goal of state administration: meeting the needs of the population optimally.For this purpose, the existence of a duly established and, above all, utilized budget will be a fundamental requirement, as it demonstrates the spending capacity of institutions or government levels.Additionally, the generation of valuable information that aids decision-making is crucial; for this to occur, information systems must function properly, providing updated and accurate data on how processes are being carried out.Technological support will undoubtedly be essential in this aspect (Ávila et al., 2022;Morillo et al., 2020;Prado et al., 2020).
In accordance with the above, the State must have human resources trained at the operational, tactical, and strategic levels to contribute to compliance with the established institutional provisions for the functioning of organizations.These resources should follow the line and prioritization of the measures communicated as part of public policies, as these mark the guidelines for the objectives to be met and the direction in which the efforts of each public servant should be oriented.Currently, the performance of public employees has been a topic of debate, as the economic and non-economic incentives are questioned.For some, these are considered precarious, while for others, excessively burdensome, generating a dilemma between standardizing measures, despite the existence of various rules according to the contracting modality (Tejada, 2021;Rojas & Ponce, 2021;Cruz-Vargas & Díaz-Navarro, 2020).
Operational management, specifically expressed through processes, operations, and public administration, allows us to understand public functions from the processes that are carried out daily.It involves the systems and platforms belonging to the State, which are designed to systematize the so-called bureaucracy that, on several occasions, is considered one of the main drawbacks that the State's administration is currently facing (Virginio et al., 2023).Bureaucracy can complicate and extend the processes excessively, thus hindering the tasks that citizens and other officials carry out.Within these operations, the control and evaluation of the processes are resources used by the State to be accountable, having the declaration of an entire regulatory framework that regulates each of the various operations that are carried out.However, these can often be confusing and extensive, leading to discussions among academics and experts for their modification (Bueno-Tacuri & Jácome-Ortega, 2021; Morillo-Acosta & Flores-Hinojosa, 2020).As for economic management, it involves the ability to collect, allocate, and distribute the resources accumulated by the State.This is carried out through the application of fiscal policy, which includes the collection of various types of taxes, as well as monetary policy, which involves the supply and demand of money through the financial system to regulate investment levels.As part of its functions, the State must make an efficient use of public resources for the Following the above, social management is a dimension that has been of utmost interest to public administration in recent years.It's through this dimension that it can be affirmed whether the State genuinely contributes to providing a better quality of life for the population, by offering valuable public services such as health and education, ensuring social effectiveness.However, the presence of a social gap is undeniable; there's a disparity between the real and the desired, leading to dissatisfaction among citizens.In the last few decades, people have increasingly taken to the streets to protest the non-fulfillment of their rights, and in some cases, even due to political issues that have resulted in loss of human lives.Social participation, particularly, represents a crucial tool to ensure a democratic State that is responsive to its citizens' demands.However, it also demands fair and objective regulation from the current government to listen to and understand those demands without endangering the physical and emotional integrity of individuals (Palumbo et al., 2022;Di Virgilio, 2021).Below is the operationalization matrix that has emerged from the aforementioned analysis regarding effective public management:

Dimensions Involved in the Fight Against Environmental Pollution
The fight against environmental pollution involves addressing three aspects: the forms of pollution, types of pollution, and environmental culture.Among the forms of pollution, the 8 most common are: a) atmospheric pollution, which refers to the presence of particulate matter in the air.When inhaled, it can damage people's health.This includes pollution generated by cigarette smoking and emissions from public and private transportation.Public administration lacks clearly regulated guidelines to minimize this type of environmental impact (Badach et al., 2023;Grijalva et al., 2020); b) water pollution, caused by grey, black, and white water, is one of the most impactful types, affecting the consumption of an essential natural resource for human life.However, it also lacks effective technical solutions provided by governmental authorities, mainly due to the shortage of trained professionals (Casso-Hartmann et al., 2022;Palacios & Moreno, 2022;Owusu-Ansah et al., 2022).Additionally: c) Soil pollution occurs due to organic and inorganic waste, pesticides, insecticides, and chemicals that affect the natural development of the land.Improper disposal of contaminants in public places, neglecting proper waste classification, complicates recycling, reuse, or reduction.Overexploitation of land for higher yields disregards the natural land restoration, threatening the soil and leading to complete sterility (Mishra et al., 2022;Baffoe et al., 2022).d) Acoustic pollution caused by high noise levels in public places during peak hours represents a threat to public health (Fisher et al., 2022;Moroe & Mabaso, 2022;Ruiz, 2020).
Regarding the types of pollution-non-degradable, slow degradation, degradable, and biodegradable-materials such as glass, metals, plastics, cardboard, paper, and wood cause varying environmental damage over time.They pose a threat to ecosystems, impacting marine life, such as sea creatures trapped by plastic bags, and the detrimental effects of metals released into the sea (Gaur et al., 2023;López-Fernández & Franco-Mariscal, 2021;Lira et al., 2020;Weber & Weber, 2020).
Environmental culture, the third dimension directly involved in the fight against environmental pollution, represents the most valuable tool for changing people's environmental habits and behaviors.Firstly, raising awareness and interest generates citizen concerns about resource conservation and rational use, ensuring resources for present and future generations.Secondly, environmental education is considered highly influential in shaping society's environmental understanding.A conscious and educated society promotes resource conservation such as energy, water, and paper, as well as better waste segregation and recycling practices (Wang et al., 2022;Niu et al., 2022;Abeysekera et al., 2022;Dumont & Cuadros, 2021;Yangali et al., 2021;Pecci-Oviedo, 2020).Here is the operationalization of the variable related to the fight against environmental pollution, as determined from the explained analysis:  (Romero et al., 2020).

The challenges of effective public management in the fight against environmental pollution from a global perspective
It's undeniable that changes in the world and the dynamics of economic activities and their impact on the environment have increasingly demanded the State's role and, therefore, the public sector to resolve various problems presented, often threatening citizens' interests (Feliú, 2021;Guillén de Romero et al., 2020;Loza et al., 2020;Hernández et al., 2020;Lugo-Gil et al., 2020).Effective public management, conceptualized as the administration of a nation's resources, seeking optimal utilization and achievement of institutional objectives, constantly aims to foster the country's growth and development.However, this can only occur when it has 10 the capacity to adapt to the inhabitants' demands, creating functional public systems that genuinely and satisfactorily address their needs (Daniel et al., 2022;Maita Cruz et al., 2022;Yépez et al., 2021;Barrero, 2020).
In that line, the challenges faced by public management in its fight against environmental pollution can be summarized as follows:

Policies and regulations
The existence of a public approach that prioritizes environmental care at all levels of government, coupled with legislation that safeguards areas most exposed to environmental pollution, ensures the protection of the lives of the most vulnerable populations.

Human Resources
The existence of personnel in the public sector genuinely equipped to make operational, tactical, and strategic decisions that synergize institutional objectives with the public policies established, in favor of environmental care.

Integrated systems
It is crucial that public-owned systems or platforms share updated and real-time information to facilitate decision-making.

Research and technology support
The use of technology and the various tools it offers represent an aspect that public administration must incorporate to facilitate its management.Moreover, it fosters research as a mechanism for creating solutions to environmental issues.

Environmental management measures
The availability of technical teams comprised of environmental specialists that contribute to the creation and implementation of measures aimed at directing public management with an appropriate environmental focus.

Monitoring and tracking
The implementation of environmental indicators in each project, program, and plan established at various government levels, whose assessment is mandatory.This allows the monitoring of the environmental impact and ensures constant follow-up beyond basic EIA submissions, going beyond mere protocol compliance.

Source: Prepared by the author (2023)
As a result, there are six main challenges that public management faces in its quest to combat environmental pollution.These challenges range from the need to reformulate policies and regulations, which are often weak in developing countries compared to developed ones and may be influenced by third-party interests.Another challenge is the imperative of effective monitoring and oversight, which should go beyond simply verifying compliance with protocols when, for example, extractive industries seek to exploit a particular resource.Effective monitoring should continuously assess the impact of such activities on ecosystems and local populations.Here is a diagram that illustrates the connection between the concepts explained in Figure 3: 12 as a diagnostic and intervention input at a preliminary level.However, to finalize and detail the plan, a deeper and consensus-based study involving public stakeholders will be required.As a contribution from this literature review, a preliminary proposal is presented.
Starting from the pursuit of environmental sustainability and consequently economic development, the primary objective is to implement a comprehensive environmental approach across every action performed by public administration at all levels of government and hierarchies.This stems from a diagnosis demonstrating weaknesses within public management in having the necessary tools to address environmental issues.As a result, it was deemed pertinent to establish a total of six intervention components, all rooted in the identification of the initially established challenges. Nota.

CONCLUSIONS
The main dimensions involved in effective public management encompass strategic management, social management, operational management, and economic management.Each dimension consists of various elements that help understand the field of action within public administration and the necessary resources required to achieve its goals.
The dimensions related to the fight against environmental pollution begin with understanding the forms and types of pollution currently defined, so that efforts can be organized based on the primary agents or organisms harming the ecosystem.Subsequently, this leads to environmental culture, involving the management of consciousness and environmental education in individuals.13 The challenges of effective public management in the fight against environmental pollution, from a global perspective, can be summarized into six categories: policies and regulations, human resources, integrated systems, research and technology support, environmental management measures, and monitoring and control.These elements form the basis for generating an intervention proposal.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Selection process of studies identified in the databases.
Effective Public Management in The Fight Against Environmental Pollution: a Global Perspective ___________________________________________________________________________ Rev. Gest.Soc.Ambient.| Miami | v.18.n.4 | p.1-17 | e04583 | 2024.7 benefit of the population, leading to an improvement in general welfare indicators.Economic management also measures the productive capacity of the economy through indicators such as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the sum of Consumption, Investment, Public Expenditure, and Net Exports, indicating the country's economic growth achieved by combining its production factors.Nevertheless, an increase in GDP does not necessarily imply an improvement in the citizens' quality of life, which is why other indicators such as the Human Development Index (HDI) are used to confirm whether the country is truly achieving wellbeing(Walle et al., 2022; Barrientos-Oradini et al., 2021).

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Linkage between the challenges faced by public management to combat environmental pollution

Table 1 .
Operationalization of Effective Public Administration

Table 2 .
Operationalization of the Fight against Environmental Pollution

Table 3 .
Challenges faced by public administration in addressing environmental pollution