Making hydropower sustainable in the Western Balkans International Roundtable on Protection and Sustainable Use of Trans-boundary Waters in South East Europe, 15-16 December 2011, Zagreb, Croatia

1. Transboundary Water Resources
Making hydropower
sustainable in the
Western Balkans
Angela Klauschen
WWF Mediterranean
International Roundtable
on Transboundary Water
Management – Zagreb, Croatia
15-16 December 2011

2. Contents
Shorter title
Secondary information can go here
– Why is WWF concerned about dams and hydropower?
XX-XX Month, Year
– What is WWF's position on dams?
• Additional information can run
– What is WWF doing with regard to hydropower in the region?
• Underneath if necessary

3. 1. Why is WWF concerned about
dams and hydropower?
Energy, water demand and ecosystems
 Increased incentives to the
development of hydropower
globally
 Growing pressure and impacts of
water allocation (agriculture food /
biofuels, cooling water for energy
production, urban demand, industry, etc.)
 Both non-consumptive and
consumptive use with significant
impacts: economic, social and
environmental
  Massive losses in freshwater
biodiversity and ecosystem
services

4. 1. Why is WWF concerned about
dams and hydropower?
Implications of climate change
 Climate change is a fact
 Climate change increases
the pressure and the
uncertainty
 Climate change has its most
severe effects on freshwater
systems: runoff, extreme
events, water supply, fresh-
water ecosystems
 Climate-energy-water nexus
extremely complex...

5. 1. Why is WWF concerned about
dams and hydropower?
Renewable and sustainable energy?
Hydropower is powerful
 as a renewable
energy
 as a potentially
sustainable energy
 as a threat to
freshwater
ecosystems

6. 1. Why is WWF concerned about
dams and hydropower?
In the Western Balkans...
 Rising energy demand
for development
purposes
 Some countries’ energy
supply relies for up to
80% on hydropower
(i.e. Albania)
 Hydropower potential of
rivers not yet ‘exhausted’
 Strong investor interest/
activity in the region (i.e.
WB, EBRD) supporting
dam construction

7. 1. Why is WWF concerned about
dams and hydropower?
In the Western Balkans...
Hydropower again fashionable
as a «clean» energy solution
and as water storage + flood
retention infrastructure
Hydropower seen as a viable
option for energy security and
even to increase income
through energy exports to
neighbouring countries

8. 1. Why is WWF concerned about
dams and hydropower?
In the Western Balkans...
On the other side...
very pristine, biodiverse
freshwater ecosystems
but fragile and complex
due to karstic nature of
the area
highly sensitive to climate
change

9. 2. What is WWF's position
on dams?
Energy, climate and sustainability
- Energy can be
sustainable by 2050
- Mix of renewables and
energy efficiency
- Hydropower part of
mix, limited increase
- Renewable not
sustainable per se
- Need to look at real
needs, consumption
patterns and change
habits

10. 2. What is WWF's position
on dams?
Hydropower sustainability principles
Hydropower projects should be authorized, financed and built if:
 they don‘t destroy critical natural assets, and a representative
sample of free-flowing rivers (no-go areas) and their ecosystem
services is maintained (Precautionary principle, WFD);
 credible information is publicly available to show that they
are the best option, and that the best possible locations,
designs & operating rules have been chosen (WFD, WCD,
SEAs, Aarhus Convention)
 all parts of society, including downstream users of ecosystem
services, are better off with than without the project (cost/
benefit analysis, SEAs, EIAs, etc.)
 in a transboundary context, countries sharing water basins in
which new infrastructure is planned comply with the Espoo
Conv., Kiev Prot., Aarhus Conv., UNECE Water Conv.

11. 2. What is WWF's position
on dams?
Hydropower sustainability principles (cont'd)
Moreover:
 Priority should be given to rehabilitation and refurbishing
of old/existing infrastructure for increased energy output
and improved environmental standards
 Mitigation measures taken to minimize environmental
impacts should include: environmental flow provisions,
fishladders, special intake towers, etc
 IFIs and donors should apply internationally recognised
environmental standards (e.g. EU, WB, Equator Principles)
before approving loans or other funding to new dams

12. 3. What is WWF doing with regard
to hydropower in the region?
The Dinaric Arc Sustainable Hydropower Initiative
WWF's Mediterranean Programme works:
 in cooperation with its network, local NGOs, regional
partner organisations (Transparency Int'l, GWP) and other
stakeholders (EU, farmers, fishermen), independent experts
 to influence key decision-makers among water and energy
utilities, international hydropower sector, IFIs, to adopt a
sustainable approach to hydropower in the region
 by providing scientific information and capacity building,
reminding commitments and legal requirements, allowing
discussion and trust building, etc.
 to ultimately reach common understanding on sustainable
hydropower in the region that works for people and nature

13. 3. What is WWF doing with regard
to hydropower in the region?
WWF’s Freshwater priority areas in the Dinaric Arc
Livansko Polje
Hutovo Blato
Skadar Lake

14. Thank you
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