Presentation short abstract

The implementation of Nature-Based Solutions for Groundwater Protection raises environmental justice issues. The study of two French aquifers reveals three main themes: informational asymmetries, diverse environmental efforts among farmers and diverging justice perceptions among stakeholders.

Presentation long abstract

In response to growing pressures on groundwater resources, the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Groundwater Protection (NBS-GW) on recharge areas offers promising pathways to protect aquifers and to sustain the services they provide, including water storage and the supply of high-quality drinking water. However, the implementation of NBS-GW raises specific and complex questions of environmental justice. Our analysis seeks to explore the justice-related challenges associated with the adoption and implementation of NBS-GW, mobilizing the environmental justice framework based on the analysis of procedural, distribution and recognition justice. Our study is firstly based on a literature review, highlighting justice issues associated with 5 specific features of NBS-GW. Then, we conduct an empirical analysis of two strategic groundwater resources in France - the aquifers of Lez and of Evian - combining a qualitative survey based on semi-structured interviews and a documentary analysis. Following a thematic and multi-site analysis, we inductively identify three cross-case environmental justice themes: (1) Asymmetries and informational inequalities in the construction of NBS-GW programs, (2) Diverse environmental efforts amongst farmers in terms of NBS-GW adoption (3) Diverging justice perceptions regarding NBS-GW programs amongst territorial stakeholders. The analysis of our results highlights multiple connections between the specific features identified in the literature and the findings from our empirical study. It also allows us to adopt a critical perspective on the concept of NBS and a reflexive position on the environmental justice framework.