Development and conflicts linked to infrastructure construction

This document presents a preliminary examination of a set of social and environmental aspects that should be considered in order to prevent and appropriately address infrastructure-related conflicts, underscoring that conflicts are inherent to development and can offer an opportunity for change when managed well. First, the document describes the infrastructure development context in Latin American and Caribbean and provides a preliminary overview of the number of conflicts linked to the construction of transport and water management infrastructure. The second section analyses the relationship between social conflict and structural violence within the scope of infrastructure development. Section three describes the types of conflicts that reoccur in the sector, while section four draws attention to some tools that may be useful for businesses, governments and society in general for preventing and transforming conflicts related to infrastructure development. The document concludes with a set of recommendations to improve infrastructure governance in Latin America and the Caribbean.