Wild But Home: Iceland’s Westfjords

Wild But Home: An Environmental History of Árneshreppur, in Iceland’s Westfjords

Presenter: Laura Watt

Presenter Status: Faculty

Department: Geography, Environment, & Planning

Funding Source/Sponsor: RSCAP

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1eNcBUfZdoDpivFMeyO8NQkBEjwFgBNeB

Abstract:
Several years ago, a hydropower plant called Hvalárvirkjun was proposed to be built in the Árneshreppur municipality of Iceland’s Westfjords region, on the northern edge of the still-inhabited portions of what is also known as the Strandir coast—and just south of the Hornstrandir Natural Reserve, set aside in 1975 as a roadless reserve accessible only by boat or by foot. This proposed power plant has become a flashpoint of controversy across the country: While supported by a majority of residents in the broader Westfjords region, many of whom hope for improved roads and a more reliable and less expensive source of electricity, Hvalárvirkjun has been criticized by some who characterize the region as untouched wilderness and argue instead that the natural reserve should be expanded to include the potential dam site. My project will document the environmental and cultural history of this seemingly natural, undisturbed region.