Reconciliation with the River: Analysis of a Concept Emerging from Practice

Abstract

The European Rivers Network (ERN) calls for the 'reconciliation of citizens with their rivers and lakes', as a necessary step for freshwater protection and restoration of rivers. It co-ordinates annual river-bathing days with collective river jumps; upstream and downstream, across Europe, citizens simultaneously jump into rivers and lakes. But what is 'reconciliation with the river'? This paper analyses that concept as the acknowledging and restoring of distorted, marginalised or blocked capabilities, and, based on this analysis, critically discusses the practical contribution which the ERN makes to 'reconciliation with the river'.

River culture: How socio‐ecological linkages to the rhythm of the waters develop, how they are lost, and how they can be regained

“…Individuals and societies all over the world are increasingly becoming conscious that a lifestyle out of phase with the rhythm of nature causes problems for human wellbeing and that a 'reconciliation with the river' (Ziegler, 2014) is urgently needed. Such a reconciliation can be initiated by identifying the current socio-ecological situation of a community or society concerning their human-river relationships.…”