Environmental Conflicts in Colombia: Considerations on Positive Change from a Literature Review

Abstract

Environmental conflicts have been growing in number in Colombia and in Latin America, and different public policies aimed at their resolution have emerged. Based on a literature review, we investigated how 'positive change' has been conceived in the country regarding environmental conflicts, and which conditions have been considered favorable for these changes. The concepts of resolution and transformation, although with differing conceptual origins and political implications, could be considered to be complementary in practice. Among the factors favorable to positive change in environmental conflicts, we found the strength of community organizations, the establishment of sustained dialogues that allow building trust, legal instruments that guarantee social participation in environmental decisions, and the social appropriation of different forms of knowledge. We conclude with some recommendations for the Regional Centers of Environmental Dialogue proposed by the Colombian government in 2018.