Assessment of measures to be taken with regard to protection, reinstatement and compensation in connection with hydropower installations

This comprehensive final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the results of a study made on the subject of measures to be taken with regard to protection, reinstatement and compensation in connection with hydropower installations. The politically propagated full use of hydroelectric potential in Switzerland and the conditions placed on such efforts by aspects such as nature conservation and protection of the countryside are discussed. The legal stipulations involved and the advantages of using hydropower as a source of energy are discussed. An appraisal of the conflicts of interest involved is presented. The present situation is discussed and the goals set by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and the Swiss Federal Office of the Environment are reviewed. Practice-oriented methods of evaluating various measures are examined and recommendations on the subject are made.