In recent years, social recognition on seriousness of environmental conflicts has grown and accordingly, resolving those conflicts are in great demand. However, practical and effective conflict resolution programs have not been introduced. These environmental conflicts and disputes result in project delay and socially-ill effects such as social costs incurred by unproductive disputes, distrust on the government, and clash among the stake-holders.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the causes of environmental conflicts, to identify legislative system that needs improvement, and to set the basic direction for conflict resolution through examining environmental conflict cases selected by 'The Participatory Government'.
According to causes of conflict, environmental conflicts can be classified into conflict on values, conflict on interests, conflict on facts, and conflict on structure. Value conflict reflects confrontation between development and preservation. Fact conflict is related to uncertainty of information and knowledge on environment. Conflict on facts occurs especially when dealing with a large-scale project where we are not able to accurately measure the degree and scope of conflicts. Lastly, structural conflict can be resolved to some degree by reorganizing systems and putting sensible and transparent process in place.
Environmental conflict cases that 'The Participatory Government' has faced are all featured by four causes of conflict mentioned above. To take Seoul Ring Road and Gyeongbu rapid-transit railway for example, the aspect of value