Public participation in policy and planning refers to the active involvement of individuals, communities, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders in the processes of identifying problems, setting priorities, formulating policies, making decisions, implementing plans, and monitoring outcomes that affect their lives and environments. It goes beyond mere information sharing or consultation and emphasizes meaningful engagement where people have opportunities to influence decisions, express their needs and values, and share local knowledge. In the context of ecosystem management and natural resource governance, public participation recognizes that resources such as land, water, forests, fisheries, and biodiversity are shared assets, and their sustainable use depends on inclusive, transparent, and accountable decision-making processes. Public participation operates at different levels, ranging from informing and consulting stakeholders to involving them directly in decision-making and empowering them with authority over certain aspects of resource management. It is grounded in democratic principles, social justice, and the idea that those who bear the costs and benefits of policies should have a voice in shaping them. In environmental policy and planning, participation is particularly significant because resource-use decisions often have long-term ecological impacts, affect livelihoods, and involve competing interests among diverse user groups such as farmers, pastoralists, indigenous communities, industries, urban consumers, and conservation agencies. Participatory planning is a structured approach that integrates public participation into the planning process. It involves stakeholders from the earliest stages of problem identification through planning, implementation, and evaluation. By creating platforms for dialogue, negotiation, and joint decision-making, participatory planning helps address conflicts over resource use, which are common in ecosystems where resources are limited, unevenly distributed, or under increasing pressure from population growth, economic development, and climate change. Conflicts over resource use often arise due to competing claims, unclear property rights, power imbalances, lack of information, and differing values regarding conservation and development. For example, conflicts may emerge between conservation objectives and local livelihood needs in protected areas, between upstream and downstream users of water, or between industrial exploitation and traditional resource use. Participatory planning helps in conflict resolution by addressing these underlying causes in several ways. One of the key contributions of participatory planning is the inclusion of diverse perspectives and knowledge systems. Local communities and indigenous groups often possess detailed ecological knowledge based on long-term interaction with their environments. When this knowledge is incorporated into planning, it can improve the accuracy of resource assessments and lead to context-specific solutions that are more acceptable to stakeholders. Inclusion reduces feelings of marginalization and exclusion, which are major drivers of conflict. When people see that their experiences and concerns are acknowledged, they are more likely to engage constructively rather than resist or oppose policies. Participatory planning also enhances transparency and trust among stakeholders. Many resource conflicts stem from mistrust of authorities or suspicion that decisions are made to benefit powerful actors at the expense of others. Open participatory