Suchergebnisse

"Im Rahmen eines teilweise (1991-1994) vom Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft,
Forschung und Technologie (BMBF) geförderten Forschungsprojekts analysiert eine multidisziplinäre
Forschergruppe der Abteilung 'Normbildung und Umwelt' des WZB in- und ausländische
Mediationsfälle im Umweltschutz. Zentraler Untersuchungsgegenstand war das Mediationsverfahren
zum Abfallwirtschaftskonzept des Kreises Neuss. In der vorliegenden Studie
werden die Ergebnisse der mündlichen Befragung vorgestellt. Vor, während und nach der
Mediation wurden mit den Mediationsteilnehmern und weiteren relevanten Akteursgruppen
insgesamt 93 qualitative Interviews geführt. Die Befragung zielte zum einen auf zusätzliche
Informationen zum besseren Verständnis des Neusser Mediationsverfahrens, die sich auf die
Konfliktgeschichte und Konfliktkonstellation, auf die politischen Prozesse im Umfeld der Mediation
und auf die politische Weiterentwicklung nach der Mediation beziehen. Zum anderen
wurden Daten zu politikwissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen erhoben, die das Verhältnis von
Mediationsverfahren und politisch-institutioneller Umwelt zum Gegenstand haben. Sie umfassen
das Beteiligungskonzept, die Rolle der Medien, Rückkoppelungsprozesse zwischen Mediationsteilnehmern und ihren Herkunftsorganisationen und Veränderungen in der Netzwerkstruktur." (Autorenreferat)

On April 26, 1986 the most serious accident in the history of the peaceful use of nuclear energy took place in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the immediate vicinity of the town of Pripet. Especially the surrounding areas that now belong to the republics of Byelorussia, Ukraine and Russia were affected. Within a radius of 30 to 50 km around the power plant human life, plants and animals, soils and water were most severely affected by radioactivity. The population had to be evacuated from this area rapidly. Economic activities had to be reduced in a much larger area. Like many other scientists and technicians, geographers also participated in the research on the consequences and on damage reduction. In spite of the contamination, vegetation became an "ally" of man, surprisingly fast. Pioneer plants supported the attempts to minimize the spread of radioactively contaminated substances by their reoccupation of former agricultural land. Observing this development, trees were planted purposively, to stabilize the radio-ecological situation. Extensive geomorphological, geochemical and geoecological research allowed to determine areas of further output and accumulation of radionuclides and their transportation routes. The economy in the contaminated areas was affected to different degrees. Seriously affected were agriculture and forestry in the Ukrainian Polesye. There is virtually no more production in the industrial towns of Pripet, Poleskoe, Chernobyl and Narodichi. Other areas and sites have changes in their production and their functions. The management has to mind constantly the danger of a further spreading of radionuclides and of the contamination of products. The most serious result of radioactive contamination is the worsening of the ecological conditions of life of the population. Additional dangers, on which little research has been done, result from the combination of "normal" pollution and the nuclear accident. The life styles of millions of people were deformed, thousands became ill and the constant expectation of additional diseases led to an enormous psychiological stress. The relief provided by the state is not insignificant, but because of the recession it encounters diverse limitations. The regeneration of the conditions of life is a great task for spatial research and regional planning. Especially the alleged mutual interdependencies between physical and social environmental conditions and developmental measures have to be examined, in spite of the urgent need for action. It is necessary to coordinate the projects of all the affected republics: Ukraine, Byelorussia and Russia.

For many Africans, water is not only the source of life, but also a means of purification and a centre of regeneration. Water rituals and cults, such as 'Mami Wata', lead their followers to liberation of body and spirit. But customary rites can also cause harm. For example, the ancestral use of irrigation reduces contemporary female labour participation and female property rights. It is crucial to consider gender in resource management in the context of climate change, environmental degradation and population growth, which will exacerbate conflicts over scarce resources such as arable land, water, fishing and hunting. Poor governance leads to the alienation and exploitation of the majority and growing inequality, especially when water is scarce and people's livelihoods are threatened. Sub-Saharan Africa is the continent most affected by climate change, population growth and food insecurity. Yet African states, where water ecosystems are strategic resources, are more inclined to regional conflict than cooperation. In the past, climaterelated shocks have fuelled violent conflict in West Africa. Land pressure and water scarcity are causing increasingly acute crises. Traditional institutions of water and land management are often destabilised by modern irrigation techniques and massive inflows of foreign capital. Modernisation is driven by a Western-centred utilitarianism that cannot be universalised. The intensification of conflicts over water has revealed a general crisis that is likely to worsen, given the dynamics at work. Environmental degradation is one of the undesirable by-products of agricultural productivity growth, but customary institutions cannot provide adequate regulation to mitigate its effects. But even in West African regions where water is plentiful, the resource curse links the abundance of natural resources to higher levels of conflict. The commercialisation of water, including land and water grabbing, can even lead to interstate conflict through the effects of greed or grievances. Ultimately, however, conflicts are often not so much about access to scarce resources such as water, food or land, but rather about changing the political institutions through which resources are distributed. Water scarcity puts pressure on people, resulting in migration, displacement, food insecurity and impoverishment, which can lead to further conflict.