Sustainable Coexistence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Community-Based Conservation and Human–Wildlife Encounters

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue on “Sustainable Coexistence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Community-Based Conservation and Human–Wildlife Encounters” of the journal Sustainability.

Around the globe, communities, policymakers, and researchers are increasingly confronted with the challenge of managing growing human–wildlife interactions in diverse ecological and socio-political contexts. From rural landscapes to dense urban zones, the need to sustain coexistence with wildlife requires not only technical and ecological interventions, but also community-based governance models, behavioral adaptations, and ethical frameworks. This complex and pressing issue calls for an interdisciplinary perspective that spans environmental management, public policy, urban planning, conservation science, social psychology, anthropology, and political ecology.

This Special Issue aims to explore the conditions, models, and dilemmas of sustainable coexistence with wildlife, with a specific focus on community-level initiatives, adaptive management practices, and the multi-layered relationships between human societies and non-human species. We welcome research that contributes to both theoretical innovation and practical applications—from field-based ecological assessments to participatory governance mechanisms and value-driven conflict resolution.

This Special Issue is strongly aligned with the aims and scope of Sustainability, as it addresses one of the journal’s core concerns: how to promote environmental, cultural, and behavioral sustainability in the face of complex human–nature interactions. The growing challenges posed by biodiversity loss, urbanization, and changing human–wildlife relationships call for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scholarship that can inform effective policies, foster inclusive governance, and support the development of adaptive, community-led solutions.

By integrating ecological science, public policy, urban studies, and community engagement, this Special Issue embodies the journal’s vision to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to promote innovative, systemic approaches to sustainability in practice.

We invite original research articles, case studies, and critical reviews on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Community-based approaches to wildlife conservation;
• Participatory governance in human–wildlife conflict resolution;
• Ethical and moral dimensions of human–animal encounters;
• Behavioral interventions and social norms related to wildlife feeding;
• Political dynamics of environmental decision-making in coexistence settings;
• Urban planning and green infrastructure for biodiversity;
• Long-term strategies for coexistence under climate change;
• Multispecies justice, animal agency, and civic responsibility;
• Role of local knowledge and cultural narratives in conservation;
• Adaptive management frameworks and sustainability transitions.

Dr. Itai Beeri
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sustainable coexistence
• community-based conservation
• human–wildlife interaction
• environmental governance
• behavioral policy
• political ecology
• urban biodiversity