Water in the alps: Striking the balance

Since the beginning of twentieth century, the Alps have been a major source of renewable energy, which now contributes to the commitment made by the EU of reducing CO2 emissions and improve the share of renewable energy production. More than 550 hydropower plants with a generation capacity higher than 10 MW are located in the Alps, being able to deliver more than 2900 GWh each year and of helping to stabilize the European energy grid sustainably. These facts drive the approach to water management in all the region, as the legal initiatives at the EU level and their ongoing application in the Alpine countries, discussed in the present publication, show.