The forest-water-nexus: A narrative construction of the (ir-)relevance of cooperation

Interlinkages between forest and water resources are changing with global warming, leading to an increased likelihood of severe disturbances such as floods and droughts. In order to develop responses to these changing interlinkages and their effects on local communities and ecosystems, scholars propose to increase interactions across the forest and water sectors. In Germany, however, the two respective sectors have been observed as institutionally and ideationally fragmented, showing very few signs of cross-sectoral cooperation. As local actors are most directly affected by global warming and struggle to adapt to its consequences, we argue that cross-sectoral cooperation is also relevant at the local scale. Against this background, it is our aim to investigate the local narrative constructions of the (ir)relevance of cooperation across the forest and water sectors. Based on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions in six case study areas, we identify eight narratives which range from irrelevance (4), via partial relevance (2), to relevance of cooperation (2). Additionally, we elucidate a disinterest in cooperation among local water actors, compared to a narrative of urgency and fatalism among forest actors. Disinterest and urgency, however, furthermore differ regionally: Disinterest in cooperation is predominant in water abundant regions, whereas urgency is predominantly observed in regions of water scarcity. We contribute to conceptualizing disinterest as the rejection of a (common) problem possibly related to defend one's turf, and related both the urgency and fatalism narratives to the high affectedness within the forest sector.