20 Apr 2023 / 1

Strategic planning for hydropower in the Danube

Sergiy Moroz

WWF

European Hydropower Summit,

Bucharest

28 February 2012

Water and energy

Content– Introduction– Strategic and project planning– Key NGO proposals

20 Apr 2023 / 2

Prelude

Prelude

Negative impacts

Legislative triangle

Prevent deterioration / achieve good status / potential (2015)

Halt biodiversity loss / restore (2020)

Meet 20/20/20 goal (20% renewables by 2020)

Way forward

• Contribution of hydropower to meeting the region´s Renewable Energy targets

• About 30% of Danube basin river stretches and 85% of Danube in or along Protected Areas

• Wave of new hydropower stations in the pipeline, many in ecologically important river stretches

without careful planning, conservation values threatened, water quality status will deteriorate while energy challenges remain

Strategic and project planning

Integrated planning

• Integrated sustainable energy policy (energy saving, other renewable technologies…)

• Strategic planning• upfront information on no go /non-favourable

areas (see Water Directors Statement 2010, Hydropower Workshop Conclusions 2011)

• integrate water / energy / nature conservation objectives

• Planning on (sub-)basin level, but national plans can apply stricter conservation criteria

Strategic planning

Strategic planning criteria:• Non-deterioration of water quality/status• halting loss of biodiversity (e.g. endemic spec.,

habitats of global/EU/national importance)• Protect existing and potential longitudinal and

lateral continuity/connectivity – migration of fish and invertebrates (benthos)– sediment (bedload) transport– Rivers / sections prioritised for restoration

(floodplain restoration)

Strategic planning

Strategic planning tools

• Rigorous application of WFD art 4.7, Habitats Directive art. 6, SEA, EIA

• Raise capacity (where necessary) of and involve stakeholders

• Ensure proper legislative framework, independent monitoring & enforcement

• Consider environmental resource costs and values of ecosystem services in cost-benefit analyses

Market tools

• Feed-in tariffs (and other incentives) mandatorily linked to ecological criteria

• Stringent eco-electricity labels (e.g. nature made star) linked to ecological criteria

Timisoara, 21 Feb. 2012

Key NGO proposals

Timisoara, 21 Feb. 2012

Key NGO asks

For immediate action:

• All high ecological status river stretches must be „no go“

• River stretches in an along Protected Areas are by definition and law of high conservation value and should therefore be kept free of hydropower development to the largest possible extend

Timisoara, 21 Feb. 2012

Timisoara, 21 Feb. 2012

Key NGO asks

Next steps: governments & stakeholders

• develop integrated criteria for identifying no go / not or less favourable areas for hydropower development on basin-wide scale

• Map those areas 2nd DRBM Plan

• develop and apply strategic planning mechanisms on national level within basin-wide (trans-boundary) framework

Thank you

www.wwf.eu

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