Tuesday 1st of july – 14:00
14:00
The Rhône as an attachment: an approach combining ethnology, ecology and photography.
AUTHORS
BARTHÉLÉMY Carole, ARMANI Gilles, CARREL Georges, PUIJALON Sara
France
Short Abstract: During the consultation on the renewal of the concession of the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône, which took place in 2019, the project to build a hydroelectric dam was announced. The dam, called Rhônergia, the dam would be built in the commune of Saint-Romains-de-Jalionas in the Isère region. The dam would affect a section of the river that has not yet been developed, making it the last viable and current section of the entire stretch. The project we are proposing was developed during the consultation period in order to understand the links that could unite riverside inhabitants with the river in this so far little studied section. The aim was to identify the uses that might have disappeared or changed with the construction of the dam. An approach combining two scientific disciplines, ethnology and ecology, and a complementary methodology using photography, was developed to: 1) list the different uses of the river; 2) locate them in relation to the affected river sites; and 3) create a sensitive trace of them through photography. The results show forms of attachment to the river in this sector, linked to different practices.
14:20
Saisons du Rhône, a landscape observatory project for the Geneva Rhône, between sensitivity and habitability
AUTHORS
BARRIOZ Anne, CHOWNEY Charlotte, CREMEL Laurence, DONZE Olivier, DUBOIS Alain, GUILLAUMONT Natacha
Switzerland
Short Abstract: This paper presents the Saisons du Rhône project, led by the Paysage Projet Vivant (PPV) team and accompanied by Modélisation informatique du paysage (MIP) team at Geneva School of Engineering, Architecture and Landscape (HEPIA University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland). The aim of this ongoing project is to examine the needs and aspirations of the population and local stakeholders in relation to the Geneva Rhone, to discuss the short and long-term future of this territory, to imagine its possible evolutions and to envision quality living spaces for all forms of living. The idea here is to present the major challenges of the project: a sensitive approach, a multi-faceted methodology, a sustainable vision of habitability, and a collaborative, educational and federating approach. The creation of an Observatoire Paysager du Rhône Genevois (Landscape Observatory of Geneva’s Rhone) is the cornerstone of the project and illustrates reflecting the need for socio-hydrosystems to adapt in the face of global change.
14:40
Digital River Outputs as a Framework through which to Weave Multiple Knowledge Forms
AUTHORS
THOMAS Megan, BRIERLEY Gary, TUNNICLIFFE Jon
New-Zealand
Short Abstract: The geologic and climatic boundary conditions which dictate the manner in which systems function are changing. To keep pace with such unprecedented rates and extent of change, the ways in people live and interact with landscapes must adapt. Many have posited the need for greater emotional connections to landscapes to allow the formation of symbiotic relationships and greater nuance of understanding. River stories are a useful tool in which to facilitate such reciprocal relations. Thus, this paper suggests a practical approach for the use of digital river outputs as an informative framework through which to weave multiple knowledge forms and (re)tell river stories. We draw on a more-than-human ontology in efforts to represent the catchment over varying spatio-temporal time scale that align with the process philosophy approach suggested by Whitehead (1978) and built upon by Rhoads (2006). The resultant deep analysis of process and comparisons with the river itself, rather than sets of prescriptive and broad guidelines, allows for the appreciation of riverscape complexities that are place-based and contextualised.
15:00
The Magdalena River (Colombia): looking for a new management paradigm
AUTHORS
Velut Sebastien, Forget Marie
France
Short Abstract: Between the Andes and the Caribbean, the Rio Magdalena is Colombia’s historic axis of colonization and settlement. More than two-thirds of the country’s population live within its watershed, making it a key river for national development. But it is also a tropical river carrying a considerable load of sediment and whose flow fluctuates greatly. Nowadays, the development of the Rio Magdalena is widely debated between two main options. On the one hand, an interventionist approach aims to further control its flow and use the waters of this tropical river for the economic development made possible by the 2016 peace accords. This approach includes the construction of dams in the upstream part of the river and navigation facilities in the downstream part, claiming sustainable development. On the other hand, these developments and associated activities are disrupting the relationship between the riverside populations and the river. Supported by social movements, these populations are appealing for the implementation of new approaches of development, taking greater account of socio-ecosystems and heritage. We investigate the perspectives and the obstacles to the emergence of new paradigm for river management. This paper is based on field surveys carried out with river stakeholders since 2021, and on the creation of geographic databases showing landscape changes.
15:20
Downgraded canals in search of a future in vulnerable water areas
AUTHORS
Dournel Sylvain, CEDETE, Université d’Orléans – Le Calvez Caroline, CEDETE, Université d’Orléans
France
Short Abstract: In France, the channelling of rivers and the construction of navigation canals date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the first projects date back to the 13th century, when river transport saved time and ensured the safety of goods. These infrastructures, which symbolise the opening up of regions, technological prowess and personal challenges, represent a network of 8,500 km, although it includes a wide variety of situations. Forty per cent of them lost their navigable nature in the 1950s, but they still contain structural elements and cumbersome legacies that raise questions for elected representatives, engineers and scientists. How are these canals and waterways, which have been channelled and stripped of their original purpose, now being reappropriated and reinvested? What difficulties are faced by the public and private players who take over these gigantic infrastructures? Based on three cases that are representative of this situation – the western section of the Berry Canal, the Orléans Canal and the Finistère section of the Nantes-Brest Canal – this contribution examines the paradigm shifts that are taking place in environmental and socio-economic terms. The aim is to put forward the idea of a constantly renewed search for meaning to overcome historical difficulties and contemporary uncertainties, which have not prevented public action from paying recent attention. It sees these legacy infrastructures as an opportunity to meet the contemporary challenges of local development, preserving biodiversity and adapting to climate change.