Department Environmental Social Sciences

Restored river landscapes are essential for improved biodiversity, a key foundation of human health and well-being. Moreover, they provide multiple ecosystem services, including improved (drinking) water quality, flood retention, and active recreation. Therefore, both international and national bodies have issued directives aimed at promoting river restoration projects. However, many of the planned projects have been delayed or scaled down, often because of resistance by the local public.

The present study researches whether public participation in river restoration projects can increase local support of these projects. Specifically, we research a so far understudied potential mechanism of action of public participation: psychological ownership, defined as an individual’s feeling that an object or entity, such as a river landscape, is ‘mine’ or ‘ours’. To this end, we will organise public participation workshops in the communities affected by two river restoration projects in Switzerland, one in the Kanton of Aargau and the other in the Kanton of Graubünden. Before and after the workshops, we will conduct surveys with the residents of these communities and assess whether participation in these workshops increases public acceptance via an increased feeling of ownership.

The study will provide key insights into whether and why public participation in restoration projects can increase public acceptance of these projects.

The project is conducted by members of the Environmental Health Psychology group at Eawag and the group Social Sciences in Landscape Research at WSL.