Abstract
This study investigates the different stakeholder based discourses and challenges around the Franconian Lake District (FLD), a recently constructed large reservoir system in Germany. The construction and operation of reservoirs represent a massive alteration of their natural and social environments leading to discourses and potential conflicts between a wide scope of heterogeneous interest patterns. Studies have shown that large reservoirs can be an important contributor to water supply, irrigation, energy storage and therefore climate change mitigation on a global scale, which brings these conflicting interests to a broader societal concern. Yet, information about conflicts around existing (German) reservoirs is limited. To assess which issues and conflicts appear on the daily agenda and how they are perceived, communicated and addressed by the stakeholders, a total of 609 articles in the Nürnberger Nachrichten and 22 semi-structured expert interviews were analysed, using qualitative content analysis. The results show that discourses at FLD are predominantly determined by economic factors. Management issues are dominated by discussions about cyanobacteria, which can pose a health risk, thereby impeding recreational use of the lakes and consequently causing economic losses and an image problem for the region. The issue is also strongly interlinked with other aspects of concern and therefore one of the main challenges at the FLD. Due to the construction of the lakes and the evolving strong tourism sector, the formerly agricultural region was subject to a major structural change linking together a very heterogeneous set of interests. The results of this study can help in establishing a management framework to suit all stakeholders and possibly be transferrable to similar projects.
Highlights
Water and energy are two of the most important resources on our planet
To get an overview of the discourses connected to the lakes within this water management system as well as the constructed term Franconian Lake District as a whole, codes were created and included in the location categories allowing a quantitative evaluation
The reservoir system of the Franconian Lake District (FLD) has a multitude of impacts on natural and social spheres in the region
Summary
Water and energy are two of the most important resources on our planet. Dams and reservoirs provide and store these resources based on the implementation of infrastructure to retain water. Due to population growth and changes in lifestyle the demands towards the watercourses are constantly rising and diversifying, incorporating interests like drinking and irrigation water supply, flood protection, energy production or navigational requirements [1,2]. It is estimated that around 45,000 large dams are currently built, planned or under construction worldwide, a trend that will likely accelerate in the future [3]. In Germany, dam construction with an emphasis on hydropower began around 1900 and reached its peak during the second half of the last century [4].
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