Navigating River Contracts: A process for empowering local communities or a tool for the depoliticisation of nature? Case studies from Lombardia and Veneto (Italy)

Since the 2000s the European Union Water Framework Directive has aimed to protect and restore the chemical and ecological status of water bodies in Europe, emphasising the importance of public participation in this process. Within this framework, River Contracts (RCs) have been hailed as innovative participatory tools that enable all the stakeholders of an inland water body to take part in decision-making for the best management of water resources, thereby contributing to local development. This contribution focuses on the RCs in Lombardia and Veneto, two regions situated in the north of Italy. In these heavily industrialised areas with high hydrogeological risks and degraded waterscapes, several RCs have been developed in the last few decades. However, questions still linger regarding the extent to which riverine communities are genuinely involved in the decision-making process and whether the relative socio-cultural values of the water bodies are maintained. The two RCs analysed apply to water bodies heavily prone to flooding and have been developed with little or no involvement of the local communities. We argue that the narratives surrounding RCs do not adequately acknowledge the power dynamics and economic interests behind these processes, and that potential conflicts related to river bodies are not adequately addressed with.