Pioneering Grimsel dialogue: A win for our river pearls and the energy transition
That the expansion of renewable energies and the protection of nature need not be in conflict is now being demonstrated impressively by the outcome of what is called the Grimsel dialogue. The River Pearls Association is delighted by the positive developments for the protection of our valuable watercourses. At the same time, however, we still have a long way to go when it comes to protecting our rivers.
The Canton of Berne, power station operator Kraftwerken Oberhasli AG (KWO) and various nature, animal, agriculture and fishery associations have been in negotiation for almost a year. We are particularly pleased to report that 53 watercourses or sections of river in the Canton of Berne will now be excluded from consideration for use for new or substantial expansions of existing hydroelectric power stations.
They include many river pearls, such as the Sense (Schwarzwasser), the Emme, the Kander (Schwarzbach), the Chiene (Gamchibach/Gornerewasser), the Zulg and the Saane, which will now benefit from lasting protection. In addition, specific upgrade works such as the dismantling of weirs on the Emme, a river pearl, will restore connectivity for a variety of species.
To ensure an agreement was reached, a new assessment method was developed during the dialogue process. Known as the “Berne Method”, it allows the unavoidable interference caused by the storage projects to be balanced transparently against the ecological added value of compensatory measures.
For Gabriele Aebli of the River Pearls Association, the Grimsel dialogue sets an example: “For me, the Berne Method demonstrates that good solutions can be found for nature and the energy transition. It is possible to maintain our most precious rivers while at the same time expanding renewable energies.”
Despite the good news, the situation regarding Swiss rivers remains poor, with only 4% still in their natural state. It is this 4% that we need to continue to protect going forward, because they are critical for the maintenance of endangered flora and fauna and form an important recreational space for us humans. That is precisely what we are looking to achieve in the future with the River Pearls PLUS label.