Understanding stakeholders’ awareness and perceptions of groundwater ecosystems: a qualitative study in Germany

Background Despite the critical importance of groundwater as a source of drinking water, for agriculture, and industry, its ecological condition is rarely addressed in public discourse. Groundwater is inhabited by a myriad of organisms, from animals to microbes. The fauna living in groundwater contributes significantly to maintaining groundwater quality. However, how groundwater as alive and intact ecosystems are perceived by relevant stakeholders and what their attitudes are toward their conservation remains largely unknown. We conducted a qualitative interview study with key stakeholders in the groundwater sector to investigate these aspects. Results The study shows a low level of awareness of groundwater ecosystems among stakeholders, despite their generally high level of expertise in the field of groundwater management. The invisibility and complexity of these ecosystems make knowledge generation challenging. Furthermore, we found that there is no shared vision of how these ecosystems should be conserved under current governance conditions. Consequently, there is no shared approach to conservation. We found two diverging logics: a “precautionary protection logic”, which highlights the ecological relevance and sensitivity of groundwater ecosystems and the need for preventive conservation even in the absence of conclusive scientific evidence; and an “evidence-based protection logic”, which requires a stable scientific basis before implementing conservation measures. However, stakeholders agree on the need for specific preconditions to ensure effective conservation. Conclusions Our results show that these preconditions include reliable bioindicators, a regional characterisation of groundwater ecosystems, harmonised monitoring methods, and improved science communication. Our findings also emphasise the importance of raising awareness among stakeholders and recognising groundwater ecosystems at the EU level, since long-term, systematic action seems unlikely without clear regulatory guidelines.