alpine convention international treaty for the protection and sustainable development of the alps...
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AlpineConvention
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
Nature
Drinking Water
Habitat
Cultural Landscape
Economy
Tourism
Inhabitants: 13,6 million
Territory: 190 600 km2
Alps
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:
1991: signing of the Framework
Convention;
1995: Convention enters into
force in all the countries;
2002: 8 Protocols enter into force;
2003: establishment of the
Permanent Secretariat.
Contracting Parties:
EU
Austria
France Italy
Lichtenstein
GermanyMonaco
Slovenia
Switzerland
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
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.
TourismTransport
Framework Convention
Spatial Planning and Sustainable
Development
Conservation of nature and countryside
Soil conservation
Energy
Mountain farming
Mountain forests
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
PERMANENT COMMITTEE
WORKING GROUPSPLATFORMS
Compliance Committee
PERMANENT SECRETARIAT
Environmental Minister
Focal Points
OBSERVERS
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
- 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 Management Platform
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
• 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
Climate Action Plan
MITIGATIONS STRATEGIES ENERGY SECTOR 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“
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 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)
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
Alpine Convention and its politics on 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
Contracting Parties shell:
- Ensure ecological functions of
watercourse
- Maintained integrity of the
landscape
Measures:
- Minimum flow
- Implementing standards for
reduction of artificial fluctuations
- Guarantee animal migration
Hydropower plants produce the most energy in the Alps.
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 installations1. 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 anddeterioration of the ecosystem / improvement (mainly infrastructural-relatedfacilities and refurbishment)
