Pluralistic values and management of the water commons in the European Alps: a Q-study across six countries

Climate change in the European Alps has been progressing at an alarming rate and local stakeholders are under ecological and socio-economic pressure. Among the most affected resources are Alpine water systems, which are highly sensitive to changes in precipitation patterns, snowpack and glacier melt. Their management requires institutional arrangements that balance diverse interests, reflect local knowledge and ensure equitable resource sharing within evolving governance structures. 

While biophysical processes and climate impacts in relation to water are well understood, much less attention has been paid to how stakeholders perceive these changes, how they value ecosystems and their views on governance challenges. This mismatch between scientific assessments and pluralistic stakeholder perspectives can result in adaptation strategies that may be technologically sound, but socially infeasible, inequitable or misaligned with local institutions and values. To address this mismatch, we investigate how pluralistic values and experiences influence the management of water resources under climate stress.

Our mixed-method approach combines interviews and the Q-Methodology. First, we conducted 75 interviews with stakeholders across all sites. Second, we conducted a Q-sort with 70 stakeholders within eight workshops. The sorting was followed up by discussions where stakeholders deliberate on development and potential impact of current and future governance rules. The 14 statements related to different aspects of climate change effects on local water resources, the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity as well as the institutional arrangements of water management, such as involvement in decision-making processes, social-ecological trade-offs and governance preferences. The stakeholders came from diverse sectors such as agriculture, environmental protection, public administration, hydropower, tourism, research and water supply as well as individuals working across multiple domains.

We collected data in eight Alpine headwater catchments. The design was standardised and validated across all sites and translated into the respective local language. These catchments were selected because they represent important Alpine headwaters, high-elevation source basins that initiate river flow and provide critical freshwater for downstream communities. Further, the sites differ in their water use regimes as well as in historical power and societal relations that affect stakeholder influence, resource dependency and governance trajectories.

Based on our initial Q-analysis with 59 stakeholders, we identify four distinct stakeholder perspectives on climate adaptation and water management in the Alpine region. The first group, eco-protective adaptation optimists, puts an emphasis on nature-based solutions, strong ecological safeguards, and cautious optimism about the system’s resilience. The second group reflects a technocratic and institutionally confident view, acknowledging climate risks while expressing trust in existing organizational measures and regulatory frameworks. The third group embodies a pragmatic, infrastructure-oriented perspective, supporting hydropower’s continued role alongside responsible environmental management and recognizing governance challenges without viewing them as prohibitive. The fourth factor represents a eco-centric and climate-risk-aware outlook, prioritizing renaturation, biodiversity protection, and stakeholder involvement in decision-making. Despite these differences, hydropower emerges as a cross-cutting theme widely perceived as an enduring component of Alpine energy systems, while divergences arise primarily around the perceived severity of ecological impacts, institutional readiness, and the role of participatory governance, including highly varying involvements in local and regional decision-making processes.