Reservoirs in Piedmont: Regulations, Management, and Impacts on Watercourses

In recent decades, there has been an increase in the use of impounded water for energy production. Piedmont is one of Italy’s leading regions in hydroelectric production. While this form of energy is valuable and renewable, a much more environmentally sustainable management of existing facilities is urgently needed. This can only be achieved through the formulation and implementation of an environmental monitoring plan, particularly focusing on biological aspects, to assess the impacts on significant ecological components.

Thanks to a scholarship funded by the Cuneo Chamber of Commerce, in 2020 the Alpstream group conducted a review of the current regulations and management of reservoirs, summarized in a final technical report. Additionally, the group created an inventory of the infrastructure located within the MAB (Man and the Biosphere) area.

download here the .pdf of the technical report

Moreover, an article was published in the journal "Biologia Ambientale", with the final aim of drafting an effective monitoring plan (Marino et al., 2021). This paper presents a synthesis of the impacts and pressures on water bodies, as well as potential mitigation measures, within the framework of existing regulations, with a regional focus on Piedmont.