"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...
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doaj-fe417e1b319846c3815fe424208887012020-11-24T20:58:36ZengWater Alternatives AssociationWater Alternatives1965-01751965-01752017-10-01103 744768"They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services PerceptionsMathias Brummer0Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos1Trung Thanh Nguyen2Dídac Jorda-Capdevila3University of BayreuthUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaUniversity Hannover, GermanyUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaRiver 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. http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol10/v10issue3/380-a10-3-6/fileWater conflictsparticipatory mappingMediterranean River basinscultural valueshistory |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Mathias Brummer Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos Trung Thanh Nguyen Dídac Jorda-Capdevila |
spellingShingle |
Mathias Brummer Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos Trung Thanh Nguyen Dídac Jorda-Capdevila "They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services Perceptions Water Alternatives Water conflicts participatory mapping Mediterranean River basins cultural values history |
author_facet |
Mathias Brummer Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos Trung Thanh Nguyen Dídac Jorda-Capdevila |
author_sort |
Mathias Brummer |
title |
"They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services Perceptions |
title_short |
"They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services Perceptions |
title_full |
"They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services Perceptions |
title_fullStr |
"They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services Perceptions |
title_full_unstemmed |
"They Have Kidnapped Our River": Dam Removal Conflicts in Catalonia and Their Relation to Ecosystem Services Perceptions |
title_sort |
"they have kidnapped our river": dam removal conflicts in catalonia and their relation to ecosystem services perceptions |
publisher |
Water Alternatives Association |
series |
Water Alternatives |
issn |
1965-0175 1965-0175 |
publishDate |
2017-10-01 |
description |
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.
|
topic |
Water conflicts participatory mapping Mediterranean River basins cultural values history |
url |
http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol10/v10issue3/380-a10-3-6/file |
work_keys_str_mv |
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