Poorly planned urban development creates significant social and environmental issues. Low-income urban communities and forcibly displaced rural populations, already burdened by historical marginalization, economic deprivation, and social exclusion, are frequently relocated to high-risk urban areas. In the Global South, the concentration of poverty, forced displacement, and disaster risk within large cities exacerbates these issues, raising concerns among marginalized communities, governmental agencies, urban developers, construction companies, and conservation organizations. When efforts to mitigate disaster risk, alleviate poverty, and achieve environmental conservation intersect, conflicts can emerge. This article examines the environmental conflict triggered by the construction of low-income residential buildings and the relocation of vulnerable populations from a high-risk area to an ecologically significant area within Melendez River watershed in Santiago de Cali, Colombia. This article explores how long-term residents resisted a publicly funded housing project through various means, including public hearings, community meetings, protests, roadblocks, and legal actions. Long-term residents gathered support from local non-profit organizations, environmental groups, the city council, and other key stakeholders. This article provides a comprehensive understanding of the conflict dynamics, offering insights into the roles that diverse societal factors of urban development and environmental planning play in urban disputes. This case study underscores the need for meaningful participatory approaches in urban planning and natural resource conservation that recognize and respect the diversity of actors, interests, and social values involved. This article opens the opportunity for readers to engage in proposing potential intervention strategies, fostering a collaborative effort toward resolving such conflicts.
Andrés M. Urcuqui-Bustamante (Thu,) studied this question.