Winds of Change: Environmental Collectives Navigating Small Island Governance in Tourism‐Dominated Aruba

ABSTRACT Small islands face complex governance challenges shaped by limited capacity, economic dependency, and spatial constraints. In Aruba—one of the world's most tourism‐dependent economies—these pressures are intensified by a growth‐centric tourism regime that shapes land use, institutional priorities, and public discourse. This article examines how environmental collectives—citizen‐led groups engaged in protecting socio‐ecological commons—navigate and contest this governance landscape. Drawing on sociological institutionalism and social innovation theory, we analyze how collectives engage with formal and informal governance processes in a structurally constrained context. Based on interviews and documentary sources, we trace their evolving strategies across governance episodes, including protests, stakeholder dialogues, and litigation. Despite limited institutional responsiveness, these groups have introduced new discourses, mobilized multi‐scalar alliances, and catalyzed local engagement around environmental justice and participatory rights. We argue that environmental collectives act as agents of social innovation—not only resisting extractive development but also experimenting with alternative governance practices grounded in solidarity and place‐based values. However, their influence remains circumscribed by opaque institutions, symbolic participation, and persistent tourism dominance. The article contributes to debates on environmental governance in small island states by illustrating the dual role of environmental collectives as both challengers and co‐constructors of governance. It highlights the tensions and transformative potential of bottom‐linked action in tourism‐dominated systems, offering insights into the conditions under which citizen‐led innovation may shape more just and sustainable governance trajectories.