Shaping participatory dialogue processes: The challenge of distributing “water for all living beings”
In increasingly turbulent climatic times, nature is under growing pressure. Water is becoming scarce, even in the water-rich region of Berlin-Brandenburg.
I was therefore all the more pleased to be commissioned by NABU Brandenburg in December to design a collaborative dialogue process to support the participatory development of a concept of measures for the flora-fauna habitat area “Fredersdorfer Mühlenfließ, Langes Luch, and Breites Luch.”
When competing interests vie for limited resources, what is clear to everyone in theory must be proven in practice: jointly supported development goals must be defined. Compromise solutions must be found in the interests of all parties. Or even better: new creative and innovative solutions for common concerns must be developed.
This requires a diversity of perspectives from all those involved. Together with representatives from authorities, local governments, nature conservation volunteers, and the water and soil association, approaches and ideas for the protection and sustainable development of the water balance in the FFH area were developed, and some approaches for further necessary research were identified.
I was delighted that so many people accepted NABU’s invitation and that the dialogue provided a good start into developing sustainable solutions for future development of the region. The process showed how effective dialogue-oriented formats can be when complex challenges are tackled together.
Background
The FFH area “Fredersdorfer Mühlenfließ, Langes Luch, and Breites Luch” is part of the “Lebenswerte Natura 2000-Gebiete” (Liveable Natura 2000 Areas) project run by NABU’s Brandenburg regional association. The NABU Natura 2000 project supports the Europe-wide network of protected areas in order to preserve endangered habitats and species, ensure their quality, and implement management plans, as many areas in Germany are inadequately protected. NABU is committed to consistently applying EU nature conservation directives and promoting biodiversity.