A Culture of Coexistence in Environmental Disputes

In Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, a character is asked how he went bankrupt. His reply is brief: “In two ways. Gradually, and then suddenly.”

This is exactly how the current environmental collapse is unfolding. Decades of ignored warnings, underestimated violations, and postponed measures… And now, catastrophes that seem to happen “all of a sudden”: floods, wildfires, droughts, food crises, and mass displacements.

But this crisis is not only shaking nature—it is also unsettling societies, cities, and relationships between people. As resources shrink, tensions rise, along with feelings of injustice, mutual blame, and growing conflicts. Earth is facing not only an ecological collapse but also a profound human deadlock.

At this point, what we need is not only new technologies or policies, but a new way of relating and communicating. An approach that seeks not only to solve problems, but to understand them; not only to convince others, but to listen to them. One that judges less and listens more; that divides less and connects more.

In other words, a culture of resolution that aims not merely to manage conflict, but to transform it.

Where Are We Today? The Planet’s Real Condition

The impacts of the climate crisis are no longer confined to scientific reports; they are now visible in daily life, in headlines, in extreme weather, on our plates, and even in how cities are planned. The planet is no longer inching toward critical thresholds—it is racing toward them. Every year breaks the record set by the last.

The year 2024 was officially recorded as the hottest year in history. The global average temperature rose 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels. This means the target set by the Paris Agreement—to stay below 1.5°C—has effectively been surpassed.

All of the past ten years are among the hottest on record. This is no longer just a matter of temperature; it translates into more frequent and destructive floods, droughts, wildfires, and storms.

The levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are at their highest in human history. In 2023, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) reached record concentrations. This means the planet is committed to continued warming for years to come.

Massive fires in Australia and the United States, temperatures rising above 20°C in Antarctica, locust swarms in Africa, increasing deforestation in the Amazon, and dramatic ice melt in Greenland are just a few examples that show these crises are becoming chronic.

Sea levels are rising by an average of 3.2 millimeters each year. In 2019 alone, Greenland lost 60 billion tons of ice in just two months, raising sea levels by 2.2 millimeters. If this trend continues, hundreds of millions of people living in coastal regions may have to relocate by 2100.

Biodiversity is in collapse. According to WWF, populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians declined by an average of 68% between 1970 and 2016. This is largely due to natural habitats being converted to agricultural or industrial use. Over 500 land animal species are expected to go extinct within the next 20 years.

Food waste is another major threat to planetary balance. Around 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted each year—enough to feed four times the number of people currently going hungry. Worse still, this waste accounts for about one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Plastic pollution is one of the most severe threats to oceans and marine life. Around 14 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. By 2040, this figure is expected to double. A staggering 91% of all plastic is still not recycled and can persist in nature for up to 400 years.

This entire picture reflects not only an environmental crisis, but a profound breakdown in justice, equity, resource management, and the culture of coexistence. That’s why this article does more than just examine ecological data—it underscores the urgent need for social harmony, collaboration, and a culture of peaceful resolution.

Environmental Disputes: Crises or Opportunities for Transformation?

Environmental problems are not just about nature—they’re about people, communities, governance, and decision-making. The crises we face today—ranging from deforestation to food insecurity, water scarcity to climate-driven migration—are increasingly turning into complex disputes involving individuals, institutions, and societies.

Yet every dispute also presents an opportunity for reckoning and transformation. Environmental conflicts represent the collision of economic interests, social needs, cultural values, and concerns for the future. This complexity often renders rigid, top-down, or imposed solutions ineffective.

At this point, we need approaches that go beyond conventional conflict resolution reflexes—approaches that are participatory, empathetic, and community-based. In environmental matters, what often matters more than being right or wrong is feeling misunderstood, excluded, or unheard.

Take, for instance, a zoning dispute between local communities and public authorities; the reclassification of agricultural land as a protected area; the ecological impacts of an urban development project; or the allocation of a water source. These are not just legal issues—they carry emotional, cultural, and existential dimensions. That’s why they must be addressed through processes that foster connection, collective wisdom, and trust—not just legal compliance.

Peaceful resolution methods are not only about ending conflict—they are crucial for building bridges between opposing parties, creating long-term relationships, and restoring the will to live together. Because we cannot protect shared spaces without first producing shared values.

Today, there is a serious trust gap between those who seek to protect the environment and those who wish to invest, between those who advocate for urban growth and those defending nature, between rural residents and centralized decision-makers. Dialogue is the only ground on which this divide can be bridged—a space where both sides are willing to listen, understand, and discover mutual interests and sustainable solutions.

This transformative potential embedded in environmental crises requires that the solutions be not just technical, but relationship-centered. That’s why achieving a sustainable future requires the transformation of not only climate policies, but also conflict resolution policies.

Communities and Participatory Processes as Part of the Solution

Environmental problems are not only technical—they are also deeply social. And like any social issue, they require the voices, participation, and experiences of diverse groups to be effectively addressed. No environmental policy can achieve lasting success if local communities are not included, if people are not heard, and if decisions are handed down from above.

Therefore, in resolving environmental disputes, the aim should not only be to manage the issue, but also to rebuild relationships, restore trust, and make communities active agents of the solution.

Consider a case where farmland in a rural area changes ownership, a river is diverted, or a road is planned through a protected site… These decisions directly impact people’s ways of life, their means of livelihood, and their sense of belonging. In such cases, technical reports matter—but so do people’s feelings, memories, and lived experiences.

Participatory processes require that the public, civil society, local governments, academia, and the private sector come together around the same table. These gatherings are not just about sharing technical information—they foster mutual understanding of values, priorities, and visions for the future. That understanding is the foundation of truly sustainable solutions.

This approach is clearly emphasized in Goal 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: “Partnerships for the Goals.” This goal reminds us that sustainable development is not solely the work of governments or international organizations—it can only be achieved through strong, inclusive, and trust-based partnerships. These partnerships begin locally and expand globally.

An approach that not only informs communities but actively involves them enables cooperation instead of conflict, negotiation instead of resistance, and connection instead of division. Because when it comes to environmental issues, the only way to prevent a future where everyone loses is by building one where everyone wins—together.

Gradually, Then Suddenly: But We Still Have a Choice

That short, powerful quote from Ernest Hemingway’s novel—“It happened in two ways: gradually and then suddenly”—now describes not only economic collapse but also the environmental one. Scientific warnings long ignored, actions delayed, responsibilities postponed—have now turned into a sudden and harsh reckoning.

But this story doesn’t have to end here.

Because we still have a choice. And that choice is not to watch disasters unfold or wait for others to act—it is to talk together, to understand together, and to act together.

We now understand that sustainability is not only about protecting nature—it is also about repairing societies. Without involving communities, healing human relationships, and building systems that listen, neither the environment can recover nor can the future be secured.

That’s why we need a new culture of resolution. One that does not suppress problems but brings them into the open. One that does not polarize but brings people closer. One that does not blame, but seeks to understand.

And such a culture cannot be built by institutions alone—it must be created together with individuals, communities, neighborhoods, families, the young and the old alike.

Today is World Environment Day. A chance to remember that the planet is not merely a source of resources—it is our shared home.

And perhaps the most important thing we need to remember is this:

Every unspoken problem grows. Every unresolved conflict deepens. But every voice that is truly heard becomes a step toward healing.

In the face of a crisis that came gradually and then suddenly, perhaps the most meaningful thing we can do now is to slow down—together. To begin listening, understanding, and resolving—together.