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Whose waters, whose nutrients? Knowledge, uncertainty, and controversy over eutrophication in the Mar Menor.
Violeta Cabello1, Marcela Brugnach2
1Basque Centre for Climate Change, Headquarters Building 1, 1st floor | Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, 48940, Leioa, Biscay, Spain. Violeta.Cabello@bc3research.org.
Ambio
|April 7, 2023
Summary
Public dispute over Mar Menor lagoon
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Social Science
Background:
- The Mar Menor lagoon faces eutrophication due to nonpoint-source nutrient enrichment.
- Public discourse is polarized regarding the causes and solutions, particularly concerning agricultural sustainability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the role of knowledge claims and uncertainty in the public dispute over Mar Menor's eutrophication.
- To understand how divergent narratives and uncertainties shape the conflict.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of narratives and uncertainty through the lens of relational uncertainty theory.
- Examining contested visions of agricultural sustainability.
Main Results:
- Two polarized narratives emerged, differing on nutrient enrichment causes and effective solutions.
- Uncertainties are strategically used to downplay agriculture's role in eutrophication and resist productivity-impacting solutions.
- Both sides use divergent knowledge for legitimacy, intensifying the conflict.
Conclusions:
- The conflict is fueled by polarized narratives and the strategic use of uncertainty.
- Addressing the polarization requires inter- and transdisciplinary approaches focused on shared responsibility and uncertainty acknowledgment.
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