A multi-period analysis of a water management arena in the Italian Alps, circa 1951–2007: The territorialisation of environmental concerns

Abstract

Water exploitation is at the centre of current social and environmental sustainability discourses, one form of which is hydropower. Intense damming of rivers and natural basins occurred in nineteenth and twentieth century Europe (and elsewhere). Following Miller and Power's concept of territorialisation and Foucault's notion of visibility, this study sheds light on the water management arena, read through changes in stakeholder objectives and accountabilities. Its focus is on the ‘accounts’ of environmental concerns, from post WWII to the new millennium. The analysis focuses on the case of the Santa Giustina dam in Northern Italy, using archival and oral-history approaches. It is shown how an increasing visibility of environmental concerns translated into a higher degree of ‘territorialisation’ through their itemisation in water quality and quantity parameters. This historical evolution informs policy makers, managers and society in general, about how to address profits and environmental issues regarding current water exploitation.

Accounting and the exploitation of the natural world: Studies from a historical perspective

“…Bujaki et al (2023) conclude that their approach provides a way of analysing accountability disclosures over periods of time to identify shifts in attitudes towards the exploitation of the natural world. Maran et al (2023) examine the use of accounting for managing water supply and demand in Trento, a province in Northern Italy, in the second half of the twentieth century. They use the concept of 'territorialisation', the ways in which accounts can create 'calculable spaces' within social and economic life.…”

“…Accounts can make it possible for different actors to interact and provide information relevant to the evaluation of activities. The construction of the Santa Giustina dam in 1939 created various issues around the use of both water and hydropower, and Maran et al (2023) show how tensions can arise between the controller of the dam (the provincial government) and those holding rights to distribute the power generated by the dam. The authors base their analysis on a range of written and visual material and a small number of interviews, something that is possible given that the period of analysis is relatively close to the present day.…”

“…Does building of canals provide moral benefits by giving humans experience of the 'wilderness', and by opening areas up for colonial settlement, or does it exacerbate the negative exploitation of indigenous peoples and nature (Bujaki et al, 2023)? Does building of a dam that increases the electric power available to a region allow for economic development and growth or lead to threats to the on-going supply of water (Maran et al, 2023)? Does compensation for war damage help stimulate agrarian reform that enhances productivity on hemp farms, or does it threaten a traditional way of life (Modarelli et al, 2023)?…”

“…On 3 June 2023, one of the contributors to this Special Issue, Tom Schneider, passed away at the age of 59. He was a co-author of the study by Maran et al (2023), where he brought his long-standing interest in environmental accounting (see, e.g. Cho et al, 2020) and sustainability, as well as specialist knowledge of the environmental importance of water rights and the accounting and accountability implications of such rights (Schneider and Andreaus, 2018).…”