The paper is about community-based participatory research on environmental conflicts about sand quarries in northern Bogotá. Community-based participatory research is applied to understand the environmental conflicts of mining activities. The approach was suitable for improving the relevance and acceptance of research in the local community. It invited community members to participate and uphold their views about the social conflicts and environmental impacts arising from mining activities. The findings highlight the need for participatory environmental governance, integrating local communities and power relations analysis in environmental decision-making.