Broken rivers. The impacts of European-financed small hydropower plants on pristine Balkan landscapes
Study | 19 December 2017
This study finds that eight hydropower projects in Albania, Croatia and Macedonia financed with European public money have damaged biodiversity and are in urgent need of increased monitoring and restoration measures. The hydropower plants are affecting endemic and endangered species, and in some cases they have also hampered local communities’ water use. In most cases, flagrant violations of national laws and international financial institutions’ standards are visible and include blocking fish passes, releasing insufficient or no water at all downstream, and creating significant erosion with access roads.
Available languages:
English – download pdf
Albanian – download pdf
Macedonian – download pdf
Serbian (executive summary) – download pdf
Background study:
A scientific assessment to estimate the ecological fragmentation of the river ecosystems that are covered in this study. The results of this assessment were integrated into the ‘Broken rivers’ report.
Location: Albania | Croatia | Macedonia
Tags: HydroBanks | biodiversity | hydropower | local communities | water
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