SEE Hydropower - trageted to improve water resource management for a growing renewable energy production

Hydropower is one of the most important renewable energies in Southeast Europe. On a
global scale it helps to increase the share of electricity production by renewable sources, but on a local scale it creates ecological impacts in river ecosystems. The EU-project “SEE Hydropower”
deals with the optimization of water resources management and the improvement of hydropower implementation with respect to the environment. The objectives of the project are the review of the state of national legislations and the national water resources management concerning hydro power implementation as well as the summarization of different management methodologies for reservoir operation in the Southeast European partnership countries. Concerning the implementation status of the Water Framework Directive significant differences were observed in the national legislation and the national and regional water resources management in the project area. In this paper the main focus is laid on the presentation of the EU project “SEE Hydropower” and on its results concerning the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the existing differences between the project countries.