Dispute over final repository: ITAS examines ways to manage conflicts

The need to find a safe way of dealing with high-level radioactive waste in the long term is as unavoidable as the associated conflicts. Researchers in the KonE project, which has now been launched, are looking for ways to manage potential conflicts.
Eine Gruppe von fünf Personen steht vor einem Bildschirm bei einem Meeting (das KonE Team).
The KonE project team. (Source: ITAS)

There are always conflicts surrounding large-scale infrastructure. For example, local residents fear that the construction of industrial plants or energy infrastructure could lead to a decrease in land and property value or damage valuable nature. Such conflicts could be exacerbated during the site selection procedure for a repository for high-level radioactive waste in Germany.

This is because several goals, some of which are perceived as contradictory, have to be reconciled: maximum safety, effective public participation, and the need to bring the waste underground quickly and safely. This raises many questions. For example, who should be involved in which decisions? Or should site communities be compensated, and if so, how much?

In the project “Modes of conflict management in nuclear waste disposal” (KonE), ITAS researchers take a closer look at the conflicts surrounding nuclear waste disposal. They want to understand exactly what the characteristics of such conflicts are, in which technical and social aspects interact.

The researchers explore how conflict management can be implemented in practice. To examine this question, they develop experimental formats in collaboration with experts and test them in role-play settings.

Finally, they propose recommendations for action that will provide the actors in the site selection procedure with a foundation for designing suitable formats for dealing with conflicts. (03.04.2025)

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