Project: netWORKS – Transformations in Network Related Infrastructure Sectors |
Project Head:
Project Team: Funding:
funding
programme Social-Ecological
Research
Project's Website: http://www.networks-group.de/en/
Duration:
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The joint research project "netWORKS – Transformations in Network-Related
Infrastructure Sectors," in which ISOE co-operated with other scientific
organizations, focused on the issue of possible responses to the
far-reaching changes currently facing society’s supply systems. At the core of social-ecological problems under investigation are shifts in existing structures within the supply and disposal systems and the misfit of present regulations on this transformation processes. The joint research group’s goal was to develop and test, in particular at the communal level and in concert with those immediately affected, positions, instruments and strategies that can be used to intervene in social-ecological transformation processes. The aims here were to steer these transformation processes into a corridor of sustainable development, to keep future options for intervention open and to avoid an aggravation of social-ecological problem complexes. Accordingly, a central product generated by this research project is an instrument for supporting strategic decision making within a sustainable infrastructure management. As part of the project communal decision makers, state governments and private businesses were addressed and brought into the process. These groups are, on the one hand, target groups as far as the results of the project are concerned, while being at the same time, in light of their experience and competencies, participants in the process of developing strategies. In particular, the joint research project examined aspects of the processes of change in the field of urban studies, economics, social sciences, ecology, urban engineering, and regional planning. In November 2002, the joint research project started with a first kick-off workshop gathering also interested praxis partners and members of the advisory board. In the first half of 2003, current trends in four infrastructure sectors were jointly investigated - in water supply, energy supply, telecommunication and public transport. Main focus has been the privatisation resp. liberalisation of the sectors and its social, environmental and economic effects. Contingent requirements for regulation have been identified (e.g. to maintain resource protection, to allow a sustainable investment management at a communal level or to improve gender justice). Its results (in German: http://www.networks-group.de) and a comprehensive overview (in English: http://www.networks-group.de/en/veroeffentlichungen/DF7836.pdf) are the initial point for further work. On the occasion of the 2004 International Summer Academy on Technological Studies in Deutschlandsberg/Austria, Engelbert Schramm gave a review on the "Privatisation of German urban water infrastructure in the 19th and 21st century". It is available in English as pdf-file ESDlandsberg.pdf (303 kb). In major project work, ISOE was mainly occupied with aspects of resource regulation. The observance of social and ecological aspects in the issues of water quantity and quality (improvement in water protection), ensured the most optimal management of resources. Clarifying these issues is of particular importance when it is a question of granting water rights or developing alternative forms of resource management (e.g. tradable water rights). For this reason, in particular the (German) state governments were adressed, since these are responsible for the management of water resources. The goal here was to work out key points for a reform of the allocation of water rights. The analysis of physical aspects was based on case studies of resource regulation in two German regions (Fuhrberger Feld near Hannover and Hessisches Ried in South-Hesse). As a result, regulations on the quantity of water resources should focus on critical corridors (values); transgressing those corridors (e.g. a minimum groundwater level) implicates interventions in the management. Similar regulation modes for water quality are thinkable (but could not be found in current practice). However, the requirements for such water management rules are all the more difficult to meet as the complexity of resource situation rises. Another work field within ISOE’s part of netWORKS was the resource allocation under the conditions of EU-Water Framework Directive and the following changes in the national water law. The analysis of the current allocation of water rights shows that there is no focus on eco-efficiency (as a combination of macro economical and ecological efficiency). Further needs in research could be identified concerning balancing of rival water uses on local level considering formal and informal modes of participation. Additionally, the relevance of the concept “Tradable Permits” for the German water sector is discussed referring international approaches. With respect to the national and international debate on benchmarking in water utilities, it was examined how social-ecological enhancement of benchmarking concepts could cope with the challenges occuring within the current transformation processes in the utility sector. On this behalf, ISOE organised in co-operation with ARSU the symposium on “Benchmarking Concepts in the Water Sector” in April 2004. Furthermore, in the integration modules the scientific joint partners clarified their basic concepts in an interdisciplinary dialogue: Coordinated by ISOE, the heuristic functions of concepts as "sustainable infrastructure management", "regulation", "transformation" or "coppling" were examined. “Social-ecological regulations” were identified as crucial for the project. So, netWORKS developed a concept that considers the importance of adaptable regulations in transformation processes and could deal with natural as well as societal dimensions. A theoretical paper on this issue has been published as netWORKS-Paper and can be downloaded (in German: http://www.networks-group.de/en/veroeffentlichungen/, see also for an English abstract). The integration modules also focused on integration of the contents. For the inter- and transdisciplinary integration as well as for the strategic support tool (see above), a specific method for integration of different knowledge bases has been designed. This approach was tested for its applicability and transferability. Another focal point of this module was the integration of gender issues into the research of netWORKS. First, the relevant research questions from a gendered point of view were identified and assigned to the different modules of netWORKS. Additionally and based on focus groups, hypotheses concerning gender differences in opinions on recent trends in water supply services were identified. The results will also be considered in the strategic support tool for decision-making. Central point in this context is the relevance of gender differences in participation processes. While it could be stated for our cases that customer rights are of high relevance, the question occurs, what should these rights contain and how and by whom they could be reviewed. In August 2006 netWORKS published the handbook "Transformation in Network Related Infrastructure Sector. Strategies for Communal Decision makers" as an instrument for supporting strategic decision making within sustainable infrastructure management (press material in German): Kluge, Thomas/Libbe, Jens (Hg.) (2006): Transformation netzgebundener Infrastruktur. Strategien für Kommunen am Beispiel Wasser. DIFU-Beiträge zur Stadtforschung, Bd. 45. Berlin: DIFU |
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