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Paper short abstract

I will examine a hydroengineering project designed to restore water to a tourist region affected by drought. Despite it being presented as pro-environmental and pro-social, I argue that environmental protection and the 'sustainable growth' of tourism are incompatible.

Paper long abstract

This presentation aims to present a case study of a project to restore water resources in the Lakeland in central Poland, where I conducted field research into the social knowledge of ecosystems and nature conservation. Although it could be argued that the area has always been dry, it has experienced disturbances to the water regime for decades, caused by climate change and mining. The lakes in the area are protected under the Habitats Directive, yet they are drying up noticeably, impacting both the ecosystem and the tourism industry that has developed in the region. In view of these changes, measures to counteract the drying up of the lakes have been proposed for years. Recently, an agreement was reached between the local authorities, the mine (legally obliged to recultivate the land after closing down) and the State Forests to apply for funding for a hydroengineering project to 'save the lakes'. Although this project is presented as having ambitious pro-environmental and pro-social goals, its main objective is in fact to enable the continuation and growth of tourism (and potentially business) in the region. While the project is supported by many natural scientists and conservationists, I argue that it is impossible to reconcile the protection of valuable natural habitats with the continuation and expansion of tourist activities and infrastructure in accordance with the logic of sustainable development. In order to adapt to increasing drought, we need an alternative to the current market-liberal order that determines the actions of local governments and stakeholders.