Download Alpine convention

Alpine
Convention
International treaty for the protection and
sustainable development of the Alps
Taja Ferjančič, Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention
Outline
1.
Alpine Convention in short
2.
Water management
3.
Climate Action Plan
4.
Alpine Convention and its
politics on Energy
Alps
Inhabitants: 13,6 million
Territory: 190 600 km2
Nature
Tourism
Drinking
Water
Economy
Habitat
Cultural
Landscape
Aims of the Alpine Convention
-
Promoting sustainable
development in the Alpine area
-
Protecting the interests of the
people living in the Alps
-
Embracing the environmental,
social, economic and cultural
dimensions of the Alps
Short history:
Contracting Parties:
EU
Austria
Slovenia
Germany
Monaco
1991: signing of the Framework Lichtenstein
Convention;
1995: Convention enters into
force in all the countries;
2002: 8 Protocols enter into force;
2003: establishment of the
Permanent Secretariat.
Switzerland
France
Italy
Member States percentage of Area and Population
Area
Population
Italia
27,3 %
30,1%
Avstria
28,7%
23,9%
France
21,4%
18,0%
Switzerland
13,2%
12,8%
Germany
5,8%
10,1%
Slovenia
3,5%
4,7%
Monaco
0,001%
0,2%
Lihtenstein
0,008%
0,2%
ALPS
190.600
km2
13,6 million
Framework Convention and its Protocols
Energy
The Convention is a framework that
sets out the basic principles of all the
activities of the Alpine Convention
and contains general measures for
the sustainable development in the
Alpine region.
In the Protocols, concrete steps
to be taken for the protection and
sustainable development of the Alps
are set out.
Signed and ratified Protocols are
legaly binding in the Contracting
party.
Mountain farming
Soil conservation
Spatial Planning
and Sustainable
Development
Framework
Convention
Tourism
Transport
Mountain forests
Conservation
of nature and
countryside
Nature of the Alpine Convention and its Protocols
-
Focus on cooperation
-
Environmental protection considering development perspective
-
Efforts required at various levels: national, regional and local (most
important)
-
Dynamic aspect: implementation requires a continuous effort from
the Contracting Parties
Main Instruments of the Alpine Convention
- Activities of the Working Groups
- Multilateral projects of the Contracting Parties
- Activities of the Permanent Secretariat:
- informing and communicating
- observing and understanding
- exchanging experiences
 Cooperation with networks and other partners is
essential.
Alpine Convention Organogram
ALPINE CONFERENCE
Environmental
Minister
Focal Points
PERMANENT COMMITTEE
PLATFORMS
Compliance
Committee
WORKING GROUPS
OBSERVERS
PERMANENT SECRETARIAT
Water Management Platform
-
Water is one of the 12 main issues listed within the Alpine
Convention (Article 2)
-
Preparation of the Second report on the State of the Alps on „Water
and Water Management Issues“
-
WG established in 2009, by the ministers at the X. Alpine
Conference
-
No Water Protocol
Water Management Platform
-
Objective: to preserve or re-establish healthy water systems, in
particular by keeping lakes and rivers free of pollution, by applying
natural hydraulic engineering techniques and by using water power
in such way so that the interests of both the indigenous population
and the environment are served alike.
-
Mandate for the years 2013-2014: continuing to act as a network of
experts in order to organize workshops on specific, challenging
water management aspects concerning a broad range of Alpine
Countries. The aim of workshops is bringing together
administrations, practitioners and stakeholders to discuss water
related topics.
Water Conferences
-
-
River management and geological processes (Spring 2014)
Prevention of hydrological risks in the alpine area: the flood risk and the EU
Directive 2007/60 (Autumn 2013)
Local adaptation plans to climate change for water management:
experiences and strategies in place (Spring 2013)
4th International Conference “Water in the Alps” Sustainable Hydropower Strategies for the Alpine Region (22-23.10.2012)
International Workshop on Hydropeaking (19.06.2012)
International Workshop on Sediment Transport (16.12.2011)
3rd International Conference on Water in the Alps (25-26.11.2010)
Report on the State of the Alps 2:
Water and Water Management Issues
- Prepared by the ad hoc expert working
group
- Published in 2009
- Addresses 5 sets of water related issues:
- Status of water in the Alps
- Protection Against water related natural
hazards
- Climate change in the Alps and impacts
on water resources
- Existing legal framework concerning
water management
- Major water management issues and the
main challenges for the future
Status of water in the Alps:
- ‚Water tower‘ of Europe  crucial influence
on the European water balance
- Supply a disproportionate amount of water:
35 % Danube, up to 80% Po
- Specific role in times of water scarcity
Driving forces for Alpine Water Management:
-
Population and settlements
Land use and agriculture
Tourism
Energy demand
Environmental protection and nature
conservation
- Downstream needs
- Climate change
Pressures and Impacts:
- Monitoring programmes
- Chemical quality of water
- Water quantity
- River hydromorphology
- Socio-economical aspects
Climate Action Plan
• Recommending alpine-specific measures
• Long-term initiatives, joint projects, exchange of
experiences
• Precise schedule
• Support scientific research projects
• Addressing a variety of subjects:
– Public – at local, regional or national
– Private – influencing the behaviour to cope with climate change
MITIGATIONS STRATEGIES
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
 ENERGY SECTOR
 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT





Passive houses, renovation of existing buildings
Renewable energies
Broadcast existing techniques to reduce energy
consumption
 TRANSPORT SECTOR



Encourage cooperation between national rail network
companies and authorities to improve the existing
service
Reduce the number of heavy goods vehicles
Encourage policies to reduce the use of private cars
 TOURISM SECTOR



Incorporate sustainable transport options into tourist
operator practices
Refurbishment of tourist accommodation by adapting to
CC (instead of building new – „cold beds“)
Develop long-haul access to tourist sites by rail and the
connection to the „last kilometer“
Intensify the prevention of natural risks
Inform the population and build up its accountability
 BIODIVERSITY



Ensure ecological continuity to allow migration of fauna
& flora
Joint special programs to protect typically alpine species
Ensure eco-certification of all the forests in the public
domain of each member State
 TOURISM



Ban new tourist infrastructures in glacier areas and
natural virgin spaces
Adopting provisions to restrict artificial snow
Encouraging inter-season tourism (alternative to skiing)
 WATER & HYDRIC RESOURCES


Reduce water consumption (promote water economies
in all sectors by encouraging an integrated approach to
the resource and uses made of it)
Reduce the impact of hydroelectric power plants on
nature (improve efficiency of holding lakes and existing
electric power plants, only authorize any new project if
it is part of a plan or program respecting the ecology of
the water course)
Alpine Convention and its politics on energy
1. Framework Convention (Article 2)
• Ensure the economic and rational use of land and the sound
• Protect, conserve and, where necessary, rehabilitate and natural environment and the
countryside
• Introduce methods for the production, distribution and use
of energy which preserve the countryside and are environmentally compatible, and to
promote energy saving measures
2. Protocol Energy (1998)
3. Climate Action Plan (2009)
4. Working groups and Platforms (water management, ecological
network, macroregional strategy ...) - New Working Group Energy
Energy Protocol
Objective: to create framework conditions and adopt
measures for energy saving, production, transport,
distribution and utilisation within the territory of the Alpine
Convention in order to establish sustainable development
of energy sector witch is compatible with the Alpine
region‘s specific tolerance limits.
Contribution to the protection of the population and
environment and protection of resources and the climate.
Tree sets of
measurements:
1.Energy saving and rational
use
2.Reduce the environmental
impact of infrastructure for
energy production
3.Research, training and
information
Hydro-energy
Hydropower plants produce the most energy in the Alps.
Contracting Parties shell:
Measures:
-
Ensure ecological functions of
- Minimum flow
watercourse
- Implementing standards for reduction
Maintained integrity of the
of artificial fluctuations
landscape
- Guarantee animal migration
-
Common Guidelines for the use of Small
Hydropower in the Alpine Region
- Publication by the Water management
Platform of the Alpine Convention
- Published in 2011
- Include: common principles and
recommendations, an outline for an
assessment procedure as well as a pool of
evaluation criteria
- Good Practice Examples
Small hydropower = according to the
installed bottleneck capacity; installed
capacity as defined in the legal
framework of the individual country
http://www.alpconv.org/en/publications
-
-
No concrete methodology is
proposed since sufficient
flexibility for implementation
of the guidelines is needed
in order to pay attention to
regional differences and
varying national boundary
conditions
Considered along with the
existing national/regional
legal frameworks and
instruments
Why is it needed?
Conflict between the use of renewable
energy and the protection of the
aquatic ecosystems and landscape
(limited unutilised river stretches).
 Strategic reflection is of utmost
importance in order to avoid
irreversible impacts.
Objective: to provide general guidance for the identification of potentially
favourable locations for small hydropower plants and for the subsequent
authorisation decision considering the principles of sustainable development in
the Alps.
General principles:
1. To strike a balance between an increase of hydropower generation
and environmental protection, a transparent weighing of the
interests based on sustainability criteria has to be carried out.
2. National / regional approaches dealing with small hydropower in
the Alps should be built on the basis of common principles, general
considerations and standard aspects for the whole Alpine region
but should also consider specific national and regional factors.
3. When assessing the ecological value of river stretches, not only the
status quo needs to be taken into account but also foreseeable
changes to the ecological condition.
4. When assessing the ecological value of a river stretch it needs to
be considered whether it has a specific ecologic importance for the
other stretches in the river basin.
General principles:
Considering the differences of ecological impacts depending on the
plant type, a distinction between the following types is proposed:
Infrastructure-related
hydropower plants,
exploiting only the water
that is already used by the
primary purpose of the
plant, are in general not
additionally affecting
aquatic ecosystems and
are economically
favourable.
Off-grid small hydropower plants:
For remote locations requiring electricity supply where connection to the
public electricity grid would lead to disproportionate costs and better
environmental options are not feasible, there is a need for self-supply by
hydropower.
New Construction or Refurbishment:
-
Refurbishment of existing operating plants and reopening of disused
plants in order to optimise the production of hydropower while
minimising ecological impacts should be promoted and prioritised.
-
Ecological upgrading of existing operating plants in order to mitigate
the impacts on an area’s ecological status and landscape should be
promoted to go beyond minimal requirements.
-
Renewal of concessions or licenses can be considered appropriate
where it complies with the existing environmental legislation.
Nevertheless the ecological potential of the site should be
considered and concessions or licenses should be limited in time,
being as short as possible without compromising the investment.
Outline of a two-level procedure assessing new installations
1. The regional level: Strategic planning
- search for the most favourable location
- high hydroelectric potential
- relatively low ecological and landscape value
- on regional level
- impartial evaluation
- by competent authority + involvement of relevant stakeholders
2. The local level: At-site assessment and authorisation of individual projects
- for individual project only
- local in-depth assessment of the concrete project application
- considering installations (site-specific criteria) and socio-economic aspects
3. Implications from the regional strategic planning as prerequisite for the local
assessment and authorisation
- pragmatic approach
- ‚normal‘ authorisation for ‚evident cases‘  without significant impact on and
deterioration of the ecosystem / improvement (mainly infrastructural-related
facilities and refurbishment)
Thank you for your attention!
www.alpconv.org
[email protected]