Keynotes

Sustainable hydropower faces a complex future as it navigates environmental and social challenges. This keynote presents the key findings from the Horizon Scan on Sustainable Hydropower, a global initiative that proactively identified the most critical issues expected to shape the sector in the future. An issue was considered important if they were expected to have a significant impact on the environmental and social sustainability of hydropower in the next 5-10 years.  

Using a structured Delphi process, an international team of interdisciplinary experts – from academia, conservation, policy, and industry – highlighted emerging challenges including climate change, environmental flows for biodiversity conservation, urgency of innovation in monitoring strategies, and social equitable benefits, among others. This talk explores these pressing issues, including the balance between energy security, ecosystem integrity, and social inclusion. It will also address global trends that will influence hydropower’s future. By anticipating these challenges, the sector can proactively adapt and promote a more sustainable and socially responsible hydropower development.

Aquatic ecosystems are under pressure from human activities, including deforestation of riparian forests, siltation, and nutrients, leading to the loss of biodiversity worldwide. Three questions will be addressed in this talk:

• How do changes in land use due to human occupation alter water quality, habitat heterogeneity, biodiversity responses, and ecosystem services in hydropower hydrologic units?
• How can reference conditions in headwaters be characterized and protected to conserve water quality and quantity?
• How can social involvement be increased in the conservation of biodiversity, water quality, and ecosystem services in South America?

Thus, we have important knowledge gaps, including:

• What are the taxonomic and functional diversity answers across gradients of environmental conditions?
• How does biodiversity respond to predictions of global change?
• What are the reference conditions (and ecological refuges?)
• How are Citizen Science initiatives practical for the exercise of ecological citizenship and conservation of aquatic biodiversity?

Field samplings, transdisciplinary scientific experiences, schoolteachers and students’ involvement result in a practical Brazilian experience in South America to discuss. In summary, it is urgent to sum academic efforts to electrical companies and government sections provide information, management, protection and conservation of river basins.

Keywords: conservation, aquatic insects, biodiversity.

This presentation introduces the Hydropower Sustainability Standard, emphasizing its significance as a global benchmark for assessing and certifying ESG practices in hydropower, particularly within the European Union context. It highlights the Standard’s rigorous certification process, multistakeholder governance, and alignment with international sustainability frameworks. The presentation also showcases HSA’s capacity-building initiatives and specialized training programs designed to support hydropower developers, financiers, governments, and civil society in achieving continuous improvement and compliance with ESG best practices.

Swedish hydropower is going to be modernized, in order to achieve the greatest possible
benefit for both the environment and national access to electricity. Owners of hydropower
plants can receive financial grants from Vattenkraftens Miljöfond (The Swedish Hydroelectric
Environmental Fund) to adapt their facilities, enabling them to continue to produce renewable
energy with less impact on the environment.

With 1 billion Euro in funding and a plan covering the environmental adaption of all 2000
hydro plants in Sweden over the coming 20 years, the fund offers more than just financial
resources. It will also enable and foster collaboration and dialogue between stakeholders.

In this keynote, I will tell you the story of the fund — why the owners initiated it, what the
results are so far, and the anticipated outcomes for the coming two decades.

In Austria, hydropower accounts for more than 60% of total electricity generation, making it
the backbone of the country’s electricity system. Aligned with its commitment to achieving
climate neutrality by 2040, Austria plans to further expand its renewable generation
capacities, focusing not only on hydropower but also on more variable sources like wind and
PV. However, integrating these variable technologies requires a coordinated enhancements
of flexibility and storage capacities to maintain a reliable and efficient electricity supply. To
address the growing demand for flexibility and storage capacities, several large-scale
pumped storage hydropower projects are currently under development, designed to provide
crucial cross-border services.

While hydropower provides significant benefits, it is undeniable that it can significantly impact
ecosystems, alter natural river dynamics, habitats and continuity. Comprehensive measures
to improve the ecological status of water bodies are essential and include fish migration
facilities to restore connectivity, habitat restoration, increased ecological flow and measures
to mitigate the effects of hydropeaking. To ensure consistent implementation of these
measures, robust legal frameworks and green standards , applicable both for existing
hydropower facilities and for new projects approvals are necessary. The Austrian Ministry for
Water Management is responsible for overseeing the implementation of these measures and
coordinating the collaborative process among all stakeholders.

It is essential to collaboratively develop sustainable solutions that contribute to climate
change mitigation and biodiversity restoration. Achieving this goal necessitates enhanced
communication and cooperation among authorities, industry stakeholders, and the scientific
community. A scientifically informed, adaptive approach to developing broadly supported
strategies and guidelines represents a promising path for effective implementation.

Austrian hydropower operators exemplify this integrated approach through comprehensive
projects that contribute to the European Water Framework Directive’s restoration goals.
These efforts are visualized on a recently launched digital, interactive map, which currently
highlights approximately 170 initiatives. Encompassing fish migration facilities, adjustments
to residual water flows, and habitat restoration, these projects represent an investment of
over 300 million euros dedicated to enhancing aquatic ecology throughout Austria. The map
will be regularly updated to track progress.
Further information about Austrian water bodies, ecological status, and ongoing restoration
efforts can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for Water Management (BMLUK).