Implementation of a "counter-argumentative participation" process in the management and restoration of river environments: feedback from a Rhine National Nature Reserve

Given the ecosystem services they provide, fluvial environments feature prominently in environmental protection strategies, often leading to the implementation of specific management and restoration measures. Participation is playing an increasingly important role in the definition and implementation of these measures, to the point of being considered as a political norm. To ensure that participation really contributes to improving management and restoration actions, we propose a particular type of participation: counter-argumentative participation. This article presents the results of the application of counter-argumentative participation in the context of a partnership with the manager of the "Delta de la Sauer" National Nature Reserve. Based on this application, and a comparison with a previous participatory process in the same reserve, we present the lessons that can be drawn from it. These conclusions can be transferred to other contexts of management and restoration of river environments, and more generally to other protected natural areas.