Conflict Frames of Unauthorized Water Extraction During the Drought 2018 in Germany: a Case Study

In 2018 a severe drought impacted the European continent. Never before has it been so dry in average in Germany. Climate change projections suggest that the frequency, severity, and duration of drought events is likely to increase in many parts of the world. Thus, a prioritization of different water uses and also water users becomes central. This may lead to an increasing politicization of water distribution and potentially to conflicts over water, among them unauthorized water extraction. Research on water conflicts often focuses on transnational conflicts as well as on the Global South. Little is known about conflicts over water in Germany. This empirical paper provides an in-depth case study on illegal water extraction and overuse of water in Germany, analyzing by means of a conflict frame analysis how conflict parties frame conflict-related issues, identities and relationships. The paper shows that unauthorized water extraction from surface water occurs frequently in southern Germany as a normalized water use, but becomes highly conflictual during drought events. This raises the question how authorities as well as water users normalize, legitimize and justify unauthorized water use – and whether conflict parties consider climate change as conflict driver. In a first step, the article gives an overview of typical water conflicts in southern Germany in the year 2018. 41 lower water authorities were asked via telephone interviews to describe two typical conflict cases over water that occurred during the drought 2018. In 8 cases illegal water extraction was reported. The paper analyzes how these reported cases were described, judged and governed by water authorities. In a second step, the paper analyzes conflict frames in an in-depth study on a conflict case between water users. 16 qualitative semi-structured expert interviews with state and non-state actors including authorities at federal state and district level, farmers and water managers were conducted, asking how they as conflict parties made sense of the conflict. A qualitative content analysis on case-relevant water policies complements the data. The in-depth case study investigates a typical drought-related water conflict case in southern Germany. During the drought 2018 the extraction of surface water for irrigation was restricted by Lower Water Authorities. Farmers who rely on irrigation used drinking water for their irrigation water needs or groundwater where available, and some farmers extracted water illegally from surface water bodies. Whereas farmers demand their right to drill new wells in order to extract groundwater for future irrigation needs, water managers who extract groundwater for drinking water supply fear for groundwater pollution. What follows is a growing competition between drinking water supply and irrigated farming. Scientific reports on aquifers are used as potential conflict resolution strategies, but turn out to fuel the conflict as their credibility is questioned. A lack of monitoring increases uncertainty, hindering decision-making. Climate change builds pressure to act on drought management.