Improving Participation in the German Search for a Nuclear Waste Repository Site: a WebGIS as a Transdisciplinary Approach to Support Dialogue?
Authors: Schwarz Lucas , Bräuer Paula 
Published: November 2021

Abstract. The political and social debate on nuclear energy in Germany has been
characterized for many decades by a high potential for conflict and
dissatisfaction. In particular, the controversies surrounding the Gorleben
salt dome achieved international attention and altered the relationship
between the population and political decision makers at the local up to
international levels. With the Site Selection Act from 2013 (StandAG, first
revision 2017) a new approach was selected in order to find a participative,
inclusive and transparent search process for the best possible site of a
repository for highly radioactive waste in Germany. In connection with this a
self-learning process was proclaimed, based on a white (unprejudiced) map,
which aimed to give the general public an active role; however, even the first
interim report of the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) and
the publication of the multicolored map, in which geologically suitable areas
were extensively shown, revealed a massive potential for conflict. Many
citizens and activists, who had already protested against the Gorleben salt
dome, in this early phase of the process criticized the lack of transparency
and opportunities to voice an opinion on possible site regions. In order to
counter these criticisms, the possibilities for a web geographic information
system (WebGIS) application (interactive map) as an online platform were
analyzed (Walkobinger and Tauch, 2018; Brown and Kyttä, 2018). The aim was to virtualy present available geodata (Chwalisz, 2021), which enabled people to
contribute to spatial information (geological, superficial) and therefore to
achieve an interaction and participation option with respect to the possible
site regions. For this, available geodata relevant for the site search
process, such as subareas (BGE, 2020), nuclear power stations
(active/inactive, research stations etc.), storage facilities (repository,
central, intermediate storage etc.), historically relevant sites (sites of
protest, uranium-enrichment and preparation plants etc.) and basic data on
orientation were used. Based on this, two possibilities for participative
interaction were analyzed: (1) the inclusion of spatially located notes that
contain own experiences or local knowledge (e.g. reports, concerns,
suggestions, own expert opinions) and (2) the initiation of a platform for a
spatially located discussion. Against the background of transdisciplinary
research, the aim was to evaluate the participative value of this application
in an iterative process, in which the research process is supported by an
accompanying group from civil society. For this panel we want to present our
results from the transdisciplinary research process. In addition to testing the suitability of such a participation mode, we want
to analyze where problems arise and which information is necessary or can lead
to conflicts (Griffin, 2020). Finally, we want to gain information on how such participation
modes influence the quality of the dialogue and how they contribute to an
overall perception of a legally acceptable process (Rzeszewski and Kotus, 2019).