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MOTHER NATURE vs. THE STATE

MOTHER NATURE vs. THE STATE. Protecting the Environment Against State Policy in Austria and the Women Behind the Protest. Austria’s National Parks. is a green ribbon between the conurbations of Vienna and Bratislava

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MOTHER NATURE vs. THE STATE

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  1. MOTHER NATURE vs. THE STATE Protecting the Environment Against State Policy in Austria and the Women Behind the Protest

  2. Austria’s National Parks

  3. is a green ribbon between the conurbations of Vienna and Bratislava • protects the largest natural riparian wetlands in Central Europe, which are still to a high degree ecologically intact • is vitally influenced by the practically free-flowing stretch of the River Danube, which in this area still has the characteristic phenomena of an alpine stream • represents a complexity of ecosystems with an enormous diversity of habitats, plant and animal species

  4. offers home and refuge to many endangered plants and animals • deeply impresses visitors with the particular beauty of its landscape • provides a natural overflow for floods • guarantees high-quality drinking-water • acts as filter and climate regulator for the whole region • serves as a recreation area for people living in the surrounding region.

  5. Donau-Auen National Park contains: * more than 700 species of vascular plants * more than 30 mammal and 100 breeding bird species, 8 reptile and 13 amphibian species and more than 50 different species of fish * an abundance of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates

  6. Previous Environmental Conservancy Action • 1973: first plans regarding the establishment of a National Park Danube-March-Thaya-Auen • 1978: the Lobau area is declared a nature preserve (since 1977, the Lower Lobau has also been an UNESCO biosphere reserve) • 1979: the riparian wetlands of the rivers Danube, Morava and Dyje in Lower Austria are declared a nature reserve • 1983: the riparian wetlands of the rivers Danube, Morava and Dyje and the area of the Lower Lobau are classified as wetlands of international importance (according to the Ramsar Convention) • 1984: the most significant incident which led to the creation of the National Park was the prevention - by public protest - of the construction of a hydro-electric power station near Hainburg

  7. Supporters of the Dam The federal government The officials and speakers of the three political parties as represented in parliament Austria Social Democrats Austrian Liberal Party Austrian People’s Party Danube Power Company Austrian Labor Union Federation Defendersof the Forest Women and youth of the political parties World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Austrian Student Association Spontaneous groups, artists, intellectuals, scholars Groups Involved in the Conflict

  8. Transcription of Events • 1945:Austria begins economic recovery WWII: • companies established to build and maintain hydroelectric power plants • 1980: Austrian Federal Government is formed • coalition between the largest (Social Democrat) and smallest (Liberal) parties • November 1984:Permit is granted to begin construction • November 29, 1984: Women call a press conference • December 8, 1984: Protest march to the forest gathers 8,000-10,000 • thousands camp out for the next few days in non-violent protest • police forces called in and attempted to “clear” the unarmed protestors • December 21, 1984: A “peace” is called to allow reflection on the issues • December 25, 1984: 10,000 people gather in the forest to celebrate mass • January 1985: Ecology Commission submits its report; Hainburg site is rejected for ecological reasons

  9. If the plant had been built… • hundreds of hectares of riverine forest would have been irretrievably lost • the Danube would have been dammed up. This means that the last free flowing stretch of river in a basin, in the alpine-like stretch of the Danube, would have been destroyed • the river banks would have been replaced by dikes; islands and gravel banks would have been destroyed • the wetlands would have been cut off from flooding, which would have stopped the characteristic dynamics of a flowing river • the natural dynamics of the ground water would have been altered, which would have affected the quality of the ground water

  10. Live via telephone:Freda Meissner-Blau Born: March 11, 1927 Journalist and Green Party Chairwoman Prominent environmentalist Ran for President of Austria in 1985; received 5.5% of votes

  11. Women in the Austrian Federal Government2003 BENITA FERRERO-WALDNERFederal Minister for Foreign Affairs ELISABETH GEHRERFederal Minister for Education, Science and Culture URSULA HAUBNERState Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Social Security, Generations and Consumer Protection MARIA RAUCH-KALLAT Federal Minister for Health and Women’s Issues

  12. Results of the Hainburg Conflict • From 1985: development of alternatives for the hydro-electric power station at Hainburg by the Ecology Commission (maintaining the free-flowing stretch of the Danube and National Park or new options for a power station). • 1986-1989: scientific research for a future National Park by the Nationalparkplanung Donau-Auen; at the same time, discussion of new possibilities regarding a power station at the highest political level. • 1989: 411 hectares of the riparian wetlands near Regelsbrunn were purchased as a result of the WWF initiative “Ransom of Nature”. • 1990: agreement regarding the establishment of a National Park signed by the Republic of Austria and the Provinces of Lower Austria and Vienna. • 1991-1995: planning phase of the National Park by the “Betriebsgesellschaft Marchfeldkanal”. • 1996: Donau-auen National Park is officially opened. * Information provided by http://www.donauauen.at

  13. WANT TO JOIN OTHER WOMEN IN THE FIGHT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? PLEASE VISIT www.wedo.org

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