When nature conservation brings about conflicts, violent behaviour and common assault | Lorsque la conservation de la nature emprunte la voie des conflits, de la violence collective et de l'exclusion

[Departement_IRSTEA]GT [TR1_IRSTEA]RURAMEN / AMANDE

English. In spite of the wide diffusion of the environmental discourse and of the increasing legitimacy of sustainable development concept, management and conservation of the biodiversity appears as a frequent source of conflicts, even in Northern countries. The researches dedicated to the study of such a type of conflicts have put in light the major role plays by the confrontation between scientific and lay knowledge in these conflicting dynamics. This kind of conflicts seems in certain case rebellious to the traditional resolution conflicts mechanisms which contribute to the development of participatory democracy. Indeed, acts of collective violence and exclusion mechanisms appear sometimes as a preferred conflict resolution modalities. It is the case in particular in the conflict connected with the attempts of conciliation between residential, productive activities and preservation of the biodiversity of the lake of Grand-Lieu. Situated at fourteen kilometres in the South of the French city of Nantes, this shallow lake with variable level is dominated by macrophyte that is unique in Europe. Strong protective measures have been implemented to conserve this rich and complex ecosystem (classified site, nature reserve, RAMSAR site, European Union directive "Birds"~). The statutory ban on access to the major part of the lake does not exclude the subsistence of professional fishing, hunting and farming activities (on the swamps).After a period of management of the levels of the water in favour of farming activities, the emergence of environmental concerns is going to be at the origin of a violent conflict. After repeated acts of violence, the situation seems to become apparently quiet. Divers resolution conflicts modalities seem to have plaid a role in this appeasement, notably the implementation of a mediation procedure. But for most of the actors of the conflict it is in fact the exclusion of the director of the nature reserve of the lake of Grand-Lieu - a scientist who has been the object of verbal abuse and has suffered assault - which has allowed making easier the situation.Our communication based on this French case study, will be devoted to the analysis of such acts of collective violence and exclusion mechanism as conflict resolution modalities. We will show the pertinence of the "distorsions persécutrices" model elaborated by René Girard in his book "Le Bouc Emissaire" to analyse such mechanisms and to explain the present stage of appeasement in the case of the conflict of the lake of Grand-Lieu. In a wider perspective, we intend to contribute to the enrichment of the analysis of the conflict resolution modalities in our view too often concentrated on consultation and negotiation procedures.

French. La gestion du niveau et de la qualité des eaux du lac de Grand-Lieu dans le département de la Loire-Atlantique offre un exemple assez paradigmatique des tensions et des conflits liés à des tentatives de conciliation entre activités résidentielles, productives et de conservation de la biodiversité dans cet espace naturel sensible fortement soumis à la pression urbaine que constitue l`estuaire de la Loire. L`objectif de notre communication est de mettre en évidence la pertinence de la grille d`analyse des distorsions persécutrices développée par René Girard dans son ouvrage « Le Bouc émissaire », pour appréhender la phase actuelle d`apaisement du conflit autour du lac de Grand-Lieu. En effet, aux dires des protagonistes rencontrés, cet apaisement n`aurait été rendu possible que par l`exclusion de l`ancien directeur de la réserve naturelle. Après avoir présenté les quatre « stéréotypes de la persécution » qui fondent le schéma transculturel de la violence collective élaboré par l`auteur, nous montrerons que ce conflit en offre une illustration saisissante. Dans une perspective plus générale, en mettant en lumière la pertinence d`une mobilisation de la figure du « bouc émissaire », nous entendons contribuer à enrichir l`analyse des processus de résolution des conflits. En effet, ces études sont le plus souvent centrées sur les mécanismes de négociation et de concertation alors qu'il existe d'autres modes de résolution tels que l'exclusion et la violence.