The International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) is concerned about the development of hydroelectric power plants in protected ecosystems.
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Órgão de proteção dos Alpes critica projeto hidrelétrico suíço
In an interview with the Südostschweiz newspaper on Monday, CIPRAExternal link president Kaspar Schuler said the Swiss parliament had lost all sense of proportion. The Alpine Convention, a sustainability treaty drawn up by the eight Alpine countries, is being flouted, he claimed.
He referred to the decision by the Senate last autumn to allow the construction of renewable energy power plants in biotopes of national importance. Schuler warned that the decision could put the high valleys in canton Graubünden such as the Madris, Curciusa and Greina in danger.
Schuler said 95% of Switzerland’s waterways are dammed up or developed. He noted that projects already in the pipeline offer possibilities for expansion, for example by raising the level of reservoirs. Despite the alternatives available “power companies prefer new, large-scale facilities”, he criticised.
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