Sustainable governance of river basins with Hydropower production

Informations

Funding country

Norway

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

1/1/2015

End date

12/31/2019

Budget

1,599,000 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

The SusWater project has focused on water management in regulated rivers influenced by hydropower production. The project is highly interdisciplinary and has used different approaches and methods to analyse how we can establish a more unified water management that integrates economic, social and environmental considerations. Knowledge is fragmented. This creates challenges for better understanding and acceptance both locally and nationally, while at the same time meeting international energy and environmental policy commitments. In this context, the EU Renewable Energy Directive and the EU Water Framework Directive, implemented through national laws and regulations, are instrumental. Norway is committed to developing comprehensive water management across municipal and county boundaries, in line with catchments as specified in the EU Water Directive. This is made in Norway through the water regulations. At the same time, Norway is committed to stimulate increased consumption of renewable energy in line with the EU's Renewable Energy Directive, which also stimulates increased renewable electricity production. EU directives can create political and administrative challenges for energy and environmental policy in general, and in particular coordination related to certain economic activities such as hydropower production. At the same time, the Norwegian Water Regulations Act for the revision of terms in time-limited hydropower licenses opens issues that can challenge energy and environmental considerations. Challenges related to how these different considerations can be better handled, maintained and united are central. With these references, SusWater has highlighted various aspects of Norwegian water management in regulated rivers, while also including references to relevant management practices in Sweden and Austria. One of the goals in the project has been to develop a decision support tool. This has been demanding, but the project has through its interdisciplinary approach highlighted various dimensions, conditions and challenges that can improve water management. Norwegian administrative practice must be knowledge-based and the project has, through various academic deliverables, provided better insight into the current challenges and such a good basis for better and more unified solutions that can create general acceptance for the specific water management that is exercised in rivers affected by hydropower production. Six questions are structuring the research: 1. What are the current regulatory challenges of implementing the EU WFD? 2. How to characterise hydrological and morphological changes in rivers due to hydropower? 3. How much water is enough to fulfil specific environmental objectives? 4. What are the use values and representative indicators for the different water use interests at waterbody and river basin scales? 5. How can decision?support methods and procedures be optimised at waterbody and river basin scales? 6. How can we improve governance in river basins with hydropower production?