ABSTRACT
Definition of an environmental conflict The term ‘environmental conflict’ is to be understood here as being synonymous with a delay in the decisionmaking process, arising from a controversy amongst the relevant stakeholders concerning the potential negative environmental impact or impacts of current or
proposed activities. Five types of conflict may be identified: intra-personal (within the self), interpersonal (between individuals), intra-group (within a group), inter-group (between groups) and international (between nations) (Borisoff and Victor, 1989). Political conflicts are usually managed through the policy process-a process within governments whereby decisions are made on who gets what, when and how. The policy process serves to bring together
SUMMARY The roots of environmental conflicts are often to be found in the different values which the parties to a conflict attach to the environment. Indeed, the divergence of these values, which often prioritises short-term gains over the longterm survival of mankind, can lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding and conflicts. However, a healthy environment is a precondition for the long-term survival of humans, unlike labour relations and politics that are transitory and temporal in nature. Consequently, the management regime required for resolving environmental conflicts differs from that needed for the resolution of non-environmental conflicts.
