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Hydropower Dams and the Biodiversity Crisis

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Hydropower Dams and the Biodiversity Crisis BIODIVERSITY IN PERIL The Same Coin: Hydropower Dams and the Biodiversity Crisis WRITERS: CLAIRE BAFFERT AND SOPHIE BAUER, WWF EUROPEAN POLICY OFFICE Dive below, look high above or walk along the banks – whichever way you look, our rivers, lakes and wetlands are teeming with wildlife. They’re home to over 140,000 species, including 55% of all fish species.1 And let's not forget the rest of the gang – from amphibians and mammals to thriving birdlife, these ecosystems host it all - yet the reality is these habitats are under increasing pressure by the influx of hydropower dams, putting biodiversity at great risk. In Europe, all freshwater ecosystems of the healthiest, most pristine rivers in Freshwater species are are protected under European Union Europe and many vulnerable species. the most threatened on law. But, despite this, these habitats Over 90% of all the existing and planned are being degraded and destroyed to hydropower plants in Europe are small, the planet fuel unsustainable industries, such as meaning that each plant generates a industrial agriculture and hydropower. measly 10 MW of electricity tops. An 83% decline in the freshwater spe- While hydropower is often regarded as cies population has been recorded in “green”, the dams needed to operate the past 50 years alone.3 This bleak the plants have an enormous impact on pattern is reflected all across Europe, rivers and biodiversity – but the sector where we are experiencing the most is booming in Europe, demonstrating a significant deterioration of rivers and blatant disregard for these water and biodiversity decline to date, with fresh- nature protection laws, which should water fish and mollusks being the most limit hydropower plants. threatened. This is happening in spite of existing legislation – the EU Water WWF, together with other environmental Framework Directive – under which groups, commissioned a study to find Member States must ensure all rivers out how serious Europe’s addiction to are healthy by 2027. hydropower is. The results, released 1. IUCN last month, are sobering.2 With 21,387 2. WWF, EuroNatur, GEOTA, RiverWatch, 2019, existing hydropower plants, Europe’s Hydropower pressure on European rivers: the story in hydropower potential has been well and numbers truly harnessed. And, yet, a staggering 2. Jumping trout, Finland. Photo: Petteri Hautamaa / WWF Finland 8,785 additional plants are planned or under construction, more than 4,000 of 3. WWF, 2018. Living Planet Report 2018 which are in the Balkans and Eastern 4. Hydroelectric power station in Arribes del Duero called Mirador de Iberdrola in Salamanca. 1 Mediterranean. This region holds some Photo: Jose Luis Vega 2 4 26 | REVOLVE WINTER 2019/2020 BIODIVERSITY IN PERIL HYDROPOWER DAMS While centuries of abuse have sparked last remaining free-flowing rivers. In Ambition to make the EU water law work this decline – including pollution and addition to supporting our freshwater is low amongst member states excessive use of water – it is physical biodiversity, we need these rivers to change to the shape and flow of rivers recharge vast networks of underground which creates the biggest pressure. water, maintain floodplains that are es- 100 And for that, hydropower has a lot to sential to agriculture and flood protec- answer for. If ever built, it is estimated tion, and protect pristine sceneries that 90 that the new generation of hydropower have an immense value for recreational dams evidenced by the study could be and business activities. 80 the kiss of death for up to 30 freshwater fish species.5 70 Protected on paper, 60 not in practice 50 Big risk, small gain 40 Hydropower may be a renewable en- Protected areas – such as national ergy source, but it isn’t green. The dams parks, Natura 2000 sites and natural 30 needed to harness this natural power reserves – are protected for a reason. destroy both rivers and their surrounding They offer a safe haven to Europe’s 20 environment, changing a river’s natural most threatened biodiversity, as well flow, blocking fish migration routes and as the continent’s last handful of pris- 10 trapping sediments that protect river- tine, free-flowing rivers. In the EU, 0 banks and deltas against floods and these areas are also protected under U Italy Spain alta Latvia sea level rises. Moreover, they release EU legislation – the EU Birds and Cyprus Austria France Poland Finland Estonia Croatia Sweden Slovenia Slovakia Portugal Bulgaria Belgium Hungary methane and CO from their reservoirs Habitats Directives (BHD) and EU Water Romania Denmark Germany 2 Luembourg Netherlands 6 (and are therefore not climate neutral). Framework Directive (WFD). Cech Republic Hydropower dams also rely on a healthy Percentage of surface water Percentage of surface water Percentage of surface water bodies with at least one exemption supply of water. With droughts and water But, all over Europe, these laws are be- bodies with good or high status bodies with unknown status to postpone D deadlines or lower its obecties scarcity on the rise, it is not a climate ing broken to allow more hydropower. resilient source of energy. More than a quarter of all planned hydropower in Europe is in protected The use of exemptions to the EU Water Framework Directive is rampant among Member States. The graph shows To add insult to injury, more than 90% of areas, the overwhelming majority of that countries where the state of water is especially dire are those employing the most exemptions - either to postpone the law's final 2027 deadline for bringing freshwater ecosystems to "good status", or to lower the law's all the existing and planned hydropower these in Natura 2000 sites. objective. © WWF European Policy Office. Data source: EEA WISE (2018), (WFD reporting EC dashboards) plants in Europe are small, meaning that each plant produces less than 10 MW Under the WFD, any project that could of energy. If all the planned small hy- lead to the deterioration of a river in the dropower projects outlined in our study EU is against the law. The principle can The EU water law is were carried out, their contribution to only be challenged through so-called critical for the European the total net electricity generation in “exemptions”, which were set-up when the EU would only be between 0.2 and the law first came into effect in 2000, to Green Deal 2%. Compared to wind and solar, this be used in exceptional cases only. But is hardly worth getting out of bed for, these exemptions are being handed out The European Commission cannot let alone the destruction of Europe’s to Member States like a “get out of jail continue “business as usual” and allow free” card: 53% of EU rivers are cov- its own laws to be breached and mis- ered by at least one exemption, many used. In December 2019, the European of which are to allow more hydropower Commission’s final evaluation of the plants to be built. WFD concluded the law to be “fit for 5. Steven Weiss, 2019. purpose”, acknowledging that its ob- 6. European overview map, © FLUVIUS, commissioned by WWF, RiverWatch, EuroNatur, GEOTA And that’s where the process is even jectives “are as relevant now as they 7. European protected areas map, © FLUVIUS, used – new hydropower plants are were at the time of the adoption”. The commissioned by WWF, RiverWatch, EuroNatur, GEOTA often built without even asking for an decision concluded a two-year evalu- 8. Common Frog, Ambleside, UK. Photo: WWF exemption in the first place. ation of the law (known as a "fitness 7 8 28 | REVOLVE WINTER 2019/2020 WINTER 2019/2020 REVOLVE | 29 BIODIVERSITY IN PERIL HYDROPOWER DAMS check") and sets the EU back on course legal barrier strong, and ensure it works curtail biodiversity loss within the next to bring life back to its rivers through Spotlight on: Austria not just on paper but in practice. Any five years”. Spotlight on: Portugal full implementation and enforcement weakening of its standards will put a of the WFD. With more than 4,000 existing serious question mark over the cred- If the Commission is indeed serious Portugal’s Tâmega Hydropower Scheme is financed in large part by the plants, Austria is one of the coun- ibility of its European Green Deal. about positioning itself as a champion European Investment Bank (EIB). According to campaigners, this is in WWF is a staunch advocate of the WFD tries with the most hydropower. for biodiversity, it needs to tackle the direct contradiction with the EIB’s own guidelines on hydropower invest- and strongly supports these conclu- Despite this, it continues to in- The time to act is now: Biodiversity is issue at the source. Hydropower is ment not undermining EU nature protection rules and being subject to a sions. But the proof will be in the pud- vest in it – over 100 additional sky-high on the new European Com- incompatible with the EU’s objective proper environmental impact assessment. The ongoing construction of the ding - the Commission must now do plants are on the cards. A recent mission’s agenda and the 2020 Con- of halting biodiversity loss, its objec- Gouvães hydropower dam on the Torno River, a tributary of the Tâmega, everything in its power to ensure that study from WWF Austria and ference of the Parties to the UN Con- tive of having clean, healthy rivers, is expected to flood part of the Alvao-Marão area – a Natura 2000 site the law's impact is no longer gutted ÖKOBÜRO found that less than vention on Biological Diversity offers incompatible with the new European and crucial habitat for threatened species such as the European otter, by shoddy implementation, lackluster a third of the permits authorizing a tremendous opportunity to create a Commission’s mandate.
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