The River Vjosa – A Baseline Survey on Biodiversity, Potential Impacts and Legal Framework for Hydropower Development
This report summarizes the value of the river Vjosa system as one of the few remaining reference sites for dynamic floodplains in Europe . The morphological floodplain of the Vjosa is characterized by an exceptionally high near-nature status, hence representing an extreme rare reference site for med...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Zenodo
2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4139640 https://zenodo.org/record/4139640 |
| Summary: | This report summarizes the value of the river Vjosa system as one of the few remaining reference sites for dynamic floodplains in Europe . The morphological floodplain of the Vjosa is characterized by an exceptionally high near-nature status, hence representing an extreme rare reference site for medium sized rivers in Europe. The high values of habitats listed in the EU Habitat Directive underscore its value on an international scale . These protected habitats provide the basis for a highly endangered fauna and flora. More than 1100 documented species , including high numbers and vital populations of protected and endangered species listed in national and international laws and conventions highlight the significance of this natural environment on an international scale. The investigations carried out so far were timely limited and reveal a snapshot only. More intense inter- and multidisciplinary studies would be a prerequisite for the in-depth evaluation of potential impacts caused by hydropower plants. Anyhow, the present study represents a sound baseline survey listing the presently documented fauna and flora, their status, future developments under the prospected stressor of a Hydropower Plant (HPP) and includes national and international Guidelines and Directives. In summary three main arguments are raised against the proposal of a hydropower plant, such as HPP Kalivaç, at the river Vjosa. The project will degrade the extremely high ecological value of the entire River Vjosa from the Delta to the upstream areas of the planned dam significantly. The planned project contradicts clearly the concept of a sustainable development also in an economical perspective . Within the planned project violations of international and national laws are clearly identified. : {"references": ["ABKONS, 2019a. ESIA Scoping Assessment Report for the Proposed Kaliva\u00e7 HPP.", "ABKONS, 2019b. Non-technical Summary on Detailed EIA; Project: Kaliva\u00e7 Hydropower Plant.", "Agostinho, A.A., Pelicice, F.M., Gomes, L.C., 2008. Dams and the fish fauna of the Neotropical region: impacts and management related to diversity and fisheries. Brazilian journal of biology 68, 1119-1132.", "Antonelli, C., Provansal, M., Vella, C., 2004. Recent morphological channel changes in a delta\u0131\u0308c environment. The case of the Rh\u00f4ne River, France. Geomorphology 57, 385-402.", "Aqem Consortium, 2002. Manual for the application of the AQEM system. A comprehensive method to assess European streams using benthic macroinvertebrates, developed for the purpose of the Water Framework Directive. Version 1, 2002.", "Balon, E.K., 1975. Reproductive guilds of fishes: a proposal and definition. Journal of the Fisheries Board of Canada 32, 821-864.", "Baras, E., Lucas, M.C., 2001. Impacts of man's modifications of river hydrology on the migration of freshwater fishes: a mechanistic perspective. International Journal of Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 1, 291-304.", "Bauernfeind, E., Sold\u00e1n, T., 2012. The mayflies of Europe (Ephemeroptera). Apollo, Ollerup, 781 pp.", "Baxter, R., 1977. Environmental effects of dams and impoundments. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 8, 255-283.", "Bego, K., Qirjo, M., Bego, F., 2019. Long-term coastal habitat dynamics in Buna delta severely influenced by hydropower dams along upstream Drini River., In Poster at the International Conference \"Challenges in Technological and Environmental Approaches\".", "Birk, S., Bonne, W., Borja, A., Brucet, S., Courrat, A., Poikane, S., Solimini, A., Van De Bund, W., Zampoukas, N., Hering, D., 2012. Three hundred ways to assess Europe's surface waters: an almost complete overview of biological methods to implement the Water Framework Directive. Ecological indicators 18, 31-41.", "BMLFUW, 2012. Leitfaden zum Bau von Fischaufstiegshilfen. Bundesministerium f\u00fcr Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft,, 102.", "Bormann, F.H., Likens, G.E., 1979. Catastrophic disturbance and the steady state in northern hardwood forests: A new look at the role of disturbance in the development of forest ecosystems suggests important implications for land-use policies. American Scientist 67, 660-669.", "Boukal, D., Boukal, M., Fik\u00e1\u010dek, M., H\u00e1jek, J., Kle\u010dka, J., Skalick\u00fd, S., \u0160\u0165astn\u00fd, J., Tr\u00e1vn\u00ed\u010dek, D., 2007. Katalog vodn\u00edch brouk\u016f \u010cesk\u00e9 republiky\u2013Catalogue of water beetles of the Czech Republic (Coleoptera: Sphaeriusidae, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Noteridae, Hygrobiidae, Dytiscidae, Helophoridae, Georissidae, Hydrochidae, Spercheidae, Hydrophilidae, Hydraenidae, Scirtidae, Elmidae, Dryopidae, Limnichidae, Heteroceridae, Psephenidae). Klapalekiana 43, 1-289.", "Braasch, D., 1995. Zur Bewertung rheotypischer Arten in Flie\u00dfgew\u00e4ssern des Landes Brandenburg. Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege in Brandenburg 4, 4-15.", "Buczy\u0144ski, P., Przewo\u017any, M., Zawal, A., Zgierska, M., 2011. On the occurrence of Potamophilus acuminatus (FABRICIUS, 1772)(Coleoptera: Elmidae) in Poland. Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 11, 45-56.", "Carson, M., 1984. The meandering-braided river threshold: a reappraisal. Journal of Hydrology 73, 315-334.", "Carvajal\u2010Quintero, J.D., Januchowski\u2010Hartley, S.R., Maldonado\u2010Ocampo, J.A., J\u00e9z\u00e9quel, C., Delgado, J., Tedesco, P.A., 2017. Damming fragments species' ranges and heightens extinction risk. Conservation Letters 10, 708-716.", "Cataudella, S., Crosetti, D., Ciccotti, E., Massa, F., 2014. Sustainable management in Mediterranean coastal lagoons: interactions among capture fisheries, aquaculture and the environment. Mediterranean coastal lagoons: sustainable management and interactions among aquaculture, capture fisheries and environment. Ed. by S. Cataudella, D. Crosetti, and F. Massa. General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. Studies and Reviews.", "Commission of the European Communities, 2000. Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. OJ L 327, 1-73.", "Council of the European Union, 2007. Council Regulation (EC) No 1100/2007 of 18 September 2007 establishing measures for the recovery of the stock of European eel, pp. 17-23, Official Journal of the European Union.", "Crivelli, A.J., 1996. The freshwater fish endemic to the northern Mediterranean region: an action plan for their conservation. Tour du Valat.", "De Sostoa, A., Lob\u00f3n-Cervi\u00e1, J., 1989. Fish and fisheries of the River Ebro: actual state and recent history. Historical Change of Large Alluvial Rivers: Western Europe. John Wiley & Sons New York. 1989. p 233-247. 4 fig, 3 tab, 15 ref.", "Dekker, W., 2003. On the distribution of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and its fisheries. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES 60, 787-799.", "Den Hartog, C., Van den Brink, F., Van der Velde, G., 1992. Why was the invasion of the river Rhine by Corophium curvispinum and Corbicula species so successful? Journal of Natural History 26, 1121-1129.", "Dole-Olivier, M.-J., 2011. The hyporheic refuge hypothesis reconsidered: a review of hydrological aspects. Marine and Freshwater Research 62, 1281-1302.", "Dudgeon, D., Arthington, A.H., Gessner, M.O., Kawabata, Z.-I., Knowler, D.J., L\u00e9v\u00eaque, C., Naiman, R.J., Prieur-Richard, A.-H., Soto, D., Stiassny, M.L., 2006. Freshwater biodiversity: importance, threats, status and conservation challenges. Biological reviews 81, 163-182.", "Dynesius, M., Nilsson, C., 1994. Fragmentation and flow regulation of river systems in the northern third of the world. Science 266, 753-762.", "Eco-Masterplan for Balkan rivers, 2018. \"Save the Blue Heart of Europe\" campaign.", "Economou\u00e5, A., Giakoumi\u00e5, S., Vardakas\u00e5, L., Barbieri\u00e5, R., 2007. The freshwater ichthyofauna of Greece-an update based on a hydrographic basin survey. Mediterranean Marine Science 8, 91-166.", "Edwards, R.J., 1978. The effect of hypolimnion reservoir releases on fish distribution and species diversity. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 107, 71-77.", "Egger, G., Randl, M., Drescher, A., 2019. Scientific programme: Baseline surveys for an Environmental Impact Assessment of River Vjosa in Albania: Vegetation and Riparian Habitats. 118.", "EIFAC/ICES, 2008. Report of the 2007 session of the Joint EIFAC/ICES Working Group on EELS. Bordeaux, France, 3-7 September 2007, FAO European Inland Exploration of the Sea., p. 524, EIFAC Occasional Pap. 39.", "ESRI, 2011. ArcGIS Desktop. CA: Environmental Systems Research Institute., Redlands.", "European Commission, 2007. Interpretation manual of European Union habitats. European Commission-DG Environment, Eur 27.", "Fame Consortium, 2005. Manual for the application of the European Fish Index-EFI. A fish-based method to assess the ecological status of European rivers in support of the Water Framework Directive. Version 1.", "FAO, 2002. Fish passes: design, dimensions, and monitoring.", "Farka\u010d, J., Kr\u00e1l, D., \u0160korp\u00edk, M., 2005. \u010cerven\u00fd seznam ohro\u017een\u00fdch druh\u016f \u010cesk\u00e9 republiky. Bezobratl\u00ed. Agentura ochrany p\u0159\u00edrody a krajiny \u010cR, Praha 73.", "Faulks, L.K., Gilligan, D.M., Beheregaray, L.B., 2011. The role of anthropogenic vs. natural in\u2010stream structures in determining connectivity and genetic diversity in an endangered freshwater fish, Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica). Evolutionary Applications 4, 589-601.", "Fittkau, E., Reiss, F., 1983. Versuch einer Rekonstruktion der Fauna europ\u00e4ischer Str\u00f6me und ihrer Auen. Archiv f\u00fcr Hydrobiologie 97, 1-6.", "Fochetti, R., De Figueroa, J.M.T., 2007. Global diversity of stoneflies (Plecoptera; Insecta) in freshwater, In Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment. pp. 365-377. Springer.", "Fontes, H., Olivier, A., Sacdanaku, E., Thibault, M., 2019. Biodiversity survey of the Vjosa River catchment \u2013 Po\u00e7em & Kaliva\u00e7 areas (Albania), May 2019. 61.", "Froese, R., Pauly, D., 2010. FishBase. Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia.", "Gabbud, C., Robinson, C.T., Lane, S.N., 2019. Summer is in winter: Disturbance-driven shifts in macroinvertebrate communities following hydroelectric power exploitation. Science of the Total Environment 650, 2164-2180.", "Gehrke, P., Gilligan, D., Barwick, M., 2002. Changes in fish communities of the Shoalhaven River 20 years after construction of Tallowa Dam, Australia. River research and Applications 18, 265-286.", "Geiser, R., 1998. Rote Liste der K\u00e4fer (Coleoptera). In Rote Liste gef\u00e4hrdeter Tiere Deutschlands. ed. R.B. Binot M., Boye P., Gruttke H., Pretscher P. , pp. 168\u2013230. Bundesamt f\u00fcr Naturschutz, Bonn-Bad Godesberg.", "Gilvear, D.J., Greenwood, M.T., Thoms, M.C., Wood, P.J., 2016. River science: research and management for the 21st century. John Wiley & Sons.", "Google, 2019. Google Earth, www.google.com.", "Graf, W., Pauls, S.U., Vitecek, S., 2018. Isoperla vjosae sp. n., a new species of the Isoperla tripartita group from Albania (Plecoptera: Perlodidae). Zootaxa 4370, 171-179.", "Graf, W.L., 2006. Downstream hydrologic and geomorphic effects of large dams on American rivers. Geomorphology 79, 336-360.", "Granado-Lorencio, C., 1991. The effect of man on the fish fauna of the River Guadalquivir, Spain. Fisheries research 12, 91-100.", "Greimel, F., Sch\u00fclting, L., Graf, W., Bondar-Kunze, E., Auer, S., Zeiringer, B., Hauer, C., 2018. Hydropeaking impacts and mitigation. Riverine Ecosystem Management; Schmutz, S., Sendzimir, J., Eds, 91-110.", "Hauer, C., Aigner, H., Fuhrmann, M., Holzapfel, P., Rindler, R., Pessenlehner, S., Pucher, D., Skrame, K., Liedermann, M., 2019. Measuring of sediment transport and morphodynamics at the Vjosa River / Albania, p. 85.", "Hennekens, S.M., Schamin\u00e9e, J.H., 2001. TURBOVEG, a comprehensive data base management system for vegetation data. Journal of vegetation science 12, 589-591.", "Hill, M., 1979. TWINSPAN. A FORTRAN program for arranging multivariate data in an ordered two-way table by classification of the individuals and their attributes. Ecology and Systematics, Cornell University: Ithaca, New York.", "Holecov\u00e1, M., Franc, V., 2001. Red (Ecosozological) list of beetles (Coleoptera) of Slovakia. Red List of Plants and Animals of Slovakia. Ochr. Pr\u00edr 20, 111-128.", "Hughes, R.M., Larsen, D.P., Omernik, J.M., 1986. Regional reference sites: a method for assessing stream potentials. Environmental Management 10, 629-635.", "International BirdLife, 2017. One in eight of all bird species is threatened with global extinction.", "IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee, 2019. Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria., ed. P.b.t.S.a.P. Committee.", "J\u00e4ch, M.A., Dietrich, F., Raunig, B., 2005. Rote Liste der Zwergwasserk\u00e4fer (Hydraenidae) und Krallenk\u00e4fer (Elmidae) \u00d6sterreichs (Insecta: Coleoptera). na.", "Jacoby, D., Gollock, M., 2014. Anguilla anguilla. The IUCN red list of threatened species.", "Jungwirth, M., Haidvogel, G., Moog, O., Muhar, S., Schmutz, S., 2003. Angewandte Fisch\u00f6kologie an Flie\u00dfgew\u00e4ssern. p552; Facultas Universit\u00e4tsverlag, Wien. ISBN 3-8252-2113-X.", "Jungwirth, M., Schmutz, S., Weiss, S., 1998. Fish migration and fish bypasses. Fishing News Books Oxford.", "Junk, W.J., 1997. General aspects of floodplain ecology with special reference to Amazonian floodplains, In The Central Amazon Floodplain. pp. 3-20. Springer.", "Kesh & Sogreah Consultants, 2008. Consultants' Services for assessment of power generation potential of selected Albanian Rivers. , In Draft Report for Vjosa river basin., Tirana.", "Klausnitzer, B., 1996. K\u00e4fer im und am Wasser. Westarp Wissenschaften. Spektrum Akademische Verlag, Magdeburg\u2013Heidelberg\u2013Berlin\u2013Oxford.", "Kondolf, G.M., 1997. PROFILE: hungry water: effects of dams and gravel mining on river channels. Environmental Management 21, 533-551.", "Kov\u00e1cs, T., Ambrus, A., 2000. Two rare plecopterans from the R\u00e1ba: Agnetina elegantula (Klap\u00e1lek, 1905) and Marthamea vitripennis (Burmeister, 1839)(Plecoptera: Perlidae). Miscellanea zoologica hungarica 13.", "Krystufek, B., Reed, J.M., 2004. Balkan Biodiversity: Pattern and process in the European hotspot. Kluwer Academic Press.", "Larinier, M., 2001. Environmental issues, dams and fish migration. FAO fisheries technical paper 419, 45-89.", "Lasne, E., Lek, S., Laffaille, P., 2007. Patterns in fish assemblages in the Loire floodplain: the role of hydrological connectivity and implications for conservation. Biological conservation 139, 258-268.", "Lawton, J.H., May, R.M., Raup, D.M., 1995. Extinction rates. Oxford University Press Oxford.", "Liermann, C.R., Nilsson, C., Robertson, J., Ng, R.Y., 2012. Implications of dam obstruction for global freshwater fish diversity. BioScience 62, 539-548.", "L\u00f6vei, G.L., 1997. Global change through invasion. Nature 388, 627-628.", "MacArthur, R.H., Wilson, E.O., 1967. Island biogeography. Princeton.", "MacNamara, R., McCarthy, T.K., 2014. Silver eel (A nguilla anguilla) population dynamics and production in the R iver S hannon, I reland. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 23, 181-192.", "McCleave, J.D., 2003. Spawning areas of the Atlantic eels, In Eel biology. pp. 141-155. Springer.", "McMahon, T.E., Matter, W.J., 2006. Linking habitat selection, emigration and population dynamics of freshwater fishes: a synthesis of ideas and approaches. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 15, 200-210.", "Meulenbroek, P., Hammerschmied, U., Schmutz, S., Weiss, S., Schabuss, M., Zornig, H., Shumka, S., & Schiemer, F., 2020. Conservation Requirements of European Eel (Anquilla anquilla) in a Balkan Catchment. Sustainability, 12(20), 8535.", "Meulenbroek, P., Shumka, S., Schiemer, F., 2018a. First reconnaissance of habitat partitioning and fish diversity in the alluvial zone of the river Vjosa, Albania. Acta ZooBot Austria 155, 177-186.", "Mey, W., 2006. Ein Blick zur\u00fcck: K\u00f6cherfliegen am Rhein bei St. Goarshausen im Jahre 1890 (Insecta, Trichoptera). Lauterbornia 58, 155-167.", "Ministry of Defense (Ministria e Mbrojtjes), 1985. Albanian topographic map, 1:200 000.", "Monaghan, M.T., Spaak, P., Robinson, C.T., Ward, J., 2002. Population genetic structure of 3 alpine stream insects: influences of gene flow, demographics, and habitat fragmentation. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 21, 114-131.", "Moog, O., Schmutz, S., Schwarzinger, I., 2018. Biomonitoring and bioassessment. Riverine Ecosystem Management 371.", "Nanson, G.C., Knighton, A.D., 1996. Anabranching rivers: their cause, character and classification. Earth surface processes and landforms 21, 217-239.", "Nilsson, C., Reidy, C.A., Dynesius, M., Revenga, C., 2005. Fragmentation and flow regulation of the world's large river systems. Science 308, 405-408.", "Ofenb\u00f6ck, T., Graf, W., Hartmann, A., Huber, T., Leitner, P., Stubauer, I., Moog, O., 2011. Absch\u00e4tzung des \u00f6kologischen Zustandes von Stauen auf Basis von Milieufaktoren. Bundesministerium f\u00fcr Land-und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft: Vienna, Austria.", "Osterkamp, W., Hedman, E., 1977. Variation of width and discharge for natural high\u2010gradient stream channels. Water Resources Research 13, 256-258.", "Pils, G., Ingeborg, J., Gottschlich, G., 2016. Illustrated Flora of Albania: with 80 colour drawings by Ingeborg Jost and an illustrated account on Genus Hieracium by G\u00fcter Gottschlich.", "Poff, N.L., Allan, J.D., Bain, M.B., Karr, J.R., Prestegaard, K.L., Richter, B.D., Sparks, R.E., Stromberg, J.C., 1997. The natural flow regime. BioScience 47, 769-784.", "Poff, N.L., Hart, D.D., 2002. How dams vary and why it matters for the emerging science of dam removal: an ecological classification of dams is needed to characterize how the tremendous variation in the size, operational mode, age, and number of dams in a river basin influences the potential for restoring regulated rivers via dam removal. BioScience 52, 659-668.", "Poff, N.L., Olden, J.D., Merritt, D.M., Pepin, D.M., 2007. Homogenization of regional river dynamics by dams and global biodiversity implications. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104, 5732-5737.", "Rakaj, N., Flloko, A., 1995. Ichthyofauna of Albania. University of Tirana, Tirana, 700.", "Randl, M., in prep. Potential impacts of hydropowerplants on vegetation dynamics at the hydromorphological undisturbed river Vjosa, Albania. . University of Natural Resources and Life Sience, Vienna.", "Reichelt, G., Wilmanns, O., 1973. Vegetationsgeographie. Westermann.", "Ribera, I., 2000. Biogeography and conservation of Iberian water beetles. Biological conservation 92, 131-150.", "RStudio, 2015. RStudio: Integrated Development for R. RStudio, Boston.", "Ru, H., Li, Y., Sheng, Q., Zhong, L., Ni, Z., 2020. River damming affects energy flow and food web structure: a case study from a subtropical large river. Hydrobiologia 847, 679-695.", "Rudd, J.W., Hecky, R., Harris, R., Kelly, C., 1993. Are hydroelectric reservoirs significant sources of greenhouse gases. Ambio 22, 246-248.", "Schiemer, F., Beqiraj, S., Drescher, A., Graf, W., Egger, G., Essl, F., Frank, T., Hauer, C., Hohensinner, S., Miho, A., Meulenbroek, P., Paill, W., Schwarz, U., Vitecek, S., 2020. The Vjosa River corridor: a model of natural hydro-morphodynamics and a hotspot of highly threatened ecosystems of European significance. Landscape Ecology, 1-16.", "Schiemer, F., Drescher, A., Hauer, C., Schwarz, U., 2018. The Vjosa River corridor: a riverine ecosystem of European significance. Acta ZooBot Austria 155, 1-40.", "Schiemer, F., Waidbacher, H., 1992. Strategies for conservation of a Danubian fish fauna. River conservation and management 26, 363-382.", "Schletterer, M., Bauernfeind, E., Lechthaler, W., 2015. Larval redescription of Prosopistoma pennigerum (M\u00fcller, 1785) from the River Volga near Rzhev, Tver Region, Russia (Insecta: Ephemeroptera), In Proceedings of the Joint Meeting of the XIV International Conference on Ephemeroptera and the XVIII International Symposium on Plecoptera in Aberdeen [submitted].", "Schletterer, M., F\u00fcreder, L., 2008. Entomological notes on all described species of the mayfly-family Prosopistomatidae (Insecta: Ephemeroptera). Berichte des naturwissenschaftlich-medizinischen Vereines Innsbruck 95, 65-75.", "Schletterer, M., F\u00fcreder, L., 2009. The family Prosopistomatidae (Ephemeroptera): a review on its ecology and distribution, with particular emphasis on the European species Prosopistoma pennigerum M\u00fcller, 1785. Aquatic Insects 31, 603-620.", "Schletterer, M., Kuzovlev, V., 2007. First record of Prosopistoma pennigerum from the Russian Federation (Ephemeroptera: Prosopistomatidae). Zoosystematica Rossica 16, 169-172.", "Schletterer, M., Weiss, S., Graf, W., 2018. Ecological and genetic considerations regarding Prosopistoma pennigerum (M\u00dcLLER, 1785) from the Volga (Russia) and Vjosa (Albania), In XV International Conference on Ephemeroptera and XIX International Symposium on Plecoptera., Aracruz, Brazil.", "Schmutz, S., Moog, O., 2018. Dams: ecological impacts and management, In Riverine Ecosystem Management. pp. 111-127. Springer, Cham.", "Schmutz, S., Sendzimir, J., 2018. Riverine ecosystem management. Springer International Publishing Switzerland.", "Schmutz, S., Zauner, G., Eberstaller, J., Jungwirth, M., 2001. Die \"Streifenbefischungsmethode \": Eine Methode zur Quantifizierung von Fischbest\u00e4nden mittelgrosser Fliessgew\u00e4sser. \u00d6sterreichs Fischerei 54, 14- |
|---|