"They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services Perceptions
River restoration is essential to guarantee access to ecosystem services provided by free-flowing rivers. One mechanism to restore rivers is the decommissioning of run-of-the-river dams, but restoration can create opposition as anthropised landscapes form part of the environmental history and imag...
Main Authors: | , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Water Alternatives Association
2017-10-01
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Series: | Water Alternatives |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol10/v10issue3/380-a10-3-6/file |
Summary: | River restoration is essential to guarantee access to ecosystem services provided by free-flowing
rivers. One mechanism to restore rivers is the decommissioning of run-of-the-river dams, but restoration can
create opposition as anthropised landscapes form part of the environmental history and imaginary. To facilitate
decision-making, actorsʼ perceptions on ecosystem services for and against dam removal should be considered.
We analyse perceptions on ecosystem services at two levels of study in Catalonia (Spain): the Catalan context and
two local cases of dam removal in the Ter River Basin. Local case studies illustrate that combining participatory
mapping and interviews makes contrasting values conspicuous and contributes to conflict understanding.
Additionally, we acknowledge a dichotomy of perceptions between locals and outsiders, and the relevance of
cultural values, environmental aesthetics, and history for actorsʼ positioning. We propose the engagement of local
stakeholders at the basin level through participatory approaches for the sake of understanding water conflicts, as
decision making will rarely achieve social sustainability without local support.
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ISSN: | 1965-0175 1965-0175 |