A transdisciplinary approach to nuclear waste management: Opening research with a Citizens' Working Group.

IF 5.1 2区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Ambio Pub Date : 2025-07-16 DOI:10.1007/s13280-025-02214-9

Roman Seidl, Cord Drögemüller, Pius Krütli, Clemens Walther

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Science often tackles sustainability challenges by not only addressing them (inter-)disciplinary but additionally engaging in societal aspects through transdisciplinary research. Siting a deep-geological repository is a technical and societal challenge. In this study, we present a unique approach that entailed a 4 year collaboration between our research team and a Citizen's Working Group (CWG) on nuclear waste management in Germany. We explored whether and how knowledge could be effectively transferred among researchers and the CWG, as well as how mutual trust could be fostered and maintained. Seventeen ordinary citizens across Germany were selected via a multistep process, including an online survey and interviews. Their contributions provided valuable empirical insights and informed interdisciplinary research questions. We describe this new and challenging process with its multiple methods (surveys, workshops, observations, and interviews) and reflect on our experiences based on a rich set of empirical data. Finally, we discuss the potential for generalization and application of this approach to other topics.

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核废料管理的跨学科方法：与公民工作组开展研究。

科学通常不仅通过（跨学科）研究来解决可持续性挑战，还通过跨学科研究参与社会方面。选址深层地质储存库是一项技术和社会挑战。在这项研究中，我们提出了一种独特的方法，需要我们的研究团队与德国核废料管理公民工作组（CWG）进行为期4年的合作。我们探讨了研究人员和政府工作小组之间能否以及如何有效地转移知识，以及如何培养和维持相互信任。通过包括在线调查和访谈在内的多个步骤，德国各地的17名普通公民被选中。他们的贡献提供了宝贵的经验见解和跨学科的研究问题。我们用多种方法（调查、研讨会、观察和访谈）描述了这个新的和具有挑战性的过程，并根据丰富的经验数据反映了我们的经验。最后，我们讨论了该方法在其他主题上的推广和应用潜力。

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来源期刊

Ambio 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

14.30

自引率

3.10%

发文量

123

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： Explores the link between anthropogenic activities and the environment, Ambio encourages multi- or interdisciplinary submissions with explicit management or policy recommendations. Ambio addresses the scientific, social, economic, and cultural factors that influence the condition of the human environment. Ambio particularly encourages multi- or inter-disciplinary submissions with explicit management or policy recommendations. For more than 45 years Ambio has brought international perspective to important developments in environmental research, policy and related activities for an international readership of specialists, generalists, students, decision-makers and interested laymen.