Paper short abstract:

This paper examines how the water shortage in the World Heritage of Southern Öland was portrayed in local news media in 2016 when historically low groundwater levels were measured in the area. What accounts of new relations to nature can be found in the media coverage about the acute water shortage?

Paper long abstract:

In 2000, the Agricultural landscape of southern Öland – an island in southeastern Sweden – became a World Heritage site in the category of cultural landscapes. The category represents various expressions of successful interactions between humankind and its natural environment. The interaction that is emphasized in the case of Öland, is the adaptation of the way of lives to the physical constraints of the island. Consequently, it is the enduring and ongoing human activities in the area that have contributed to the unique environment that is protected through the World Heritage, and that contains values that are associated to both nature and culture. In 2016, however, historically low groundwater levels were measured in the area after several warm and dry autumns and winters. This led to an acute water shortage. When the drought became apparent, water was transported to the island in tankers and a water pipeline from the mainland was put in place to meet the immediate shortage. The lack of water affects the conditions for agriculture in the area and thus, the conditions for preserving the values of the World Heritage. This paper examines how the acute water shortage in 2016 were portrayed in local news media. It focuses on the relations to the natural areas within the World Heritage that are depicted in the media narratives. What kind of new relations to nature have the water shortage crisis contributed to? How does it affect the ways of looking at heritage and imagining the future?