Predicting and mitigating environmental impacts of low head hydropower schemes

英国有一个雄心勃勃的具有法律约束力的目标，即到2050年将其碳排放量减少80%（相对于1990年的基线），作为其限制其对气候变化贡献的承诺的一部分。实现这一目标将需要英国在能源来源方面做出重大改变;减少化石燃料的使用，增加风能、太阳能、潮汐能和水电等可再生技术的使用。英国目前约有1.5%的电力来自水力发电计划，尽管进一步大规模开发的潜力有限，但仍有开发小型和微型水电资源的空间（DECC，2013）。然而，必须评估该等发展对环境及其持份者的潜在影响，并尽可能将其减至最低。NERC在环境局的政策定位将通过与项目启动研讨会活动发起的广泛利益相关者进行咨询，详细了解与低水头水电计划开发相关的不同潜在关注领域。外部利益相关者可能包括河流用户团体的代表（如钓鱼信托基金、运河和河流信托基金、内陆水道协会、全国船主协会、英国独木舟联盟和漫步者协会）、环境机构（如河流信托基金会、野生动物信托基金会、皇家鸟类保护协会、英格兰自然保护协会、英国遗产协会、环境署、DEFRA）、能源组织（国家电网，DECC）和英国水电协会。通过与利益相关者协商获得的理解将用于为生命周期分析提供信息，该分析将低水头水电计划与所有其他形式的发电方式的环境影响进行比较，涵盖一系列全面的因素（全球升温潜能值、土地足迹、水足迹、非生物耗竭潜能值、酸化潜能值、富营养化潜能值、水生生态毒性潜能值），包括通过与利益攸关方协商确定的因素。将使用系统和透明的数据和文献检索，如由Defra首席科学顾问共同撰写的Bilotta博士最近的开放获取出版物（Bilotta等人，2014年a; B）确保生命周期分析的结果可追溯，并可根据可能迅速出现的技术改进进行更新。这种生命周期比较分析将使利益相关者和政策制定者能够就不同形式的发电在各自关注领域的相对优点和缺点做出更明智的决定。该项目还将通过整理和分析在英格兰和威尔士作为良好做法（环境署，2014年）在水电设施安装前后定期收集的现有监测数据，确定与最大和最小环境影响相关的低水头水电计划的具体设计和选址方面。这一分析将发表在同行评审期刊上，并酌情用于更新水电开发良好做法准则（环境署，2014年）。最终，这些指南将用于优化英格兰和威尔士未来水电计划的设计，以最大限度地减少其影响，并最大限度地提高其环境和社会可持续性。美国，米尔纳，A. M.，& Boyd，I.（2014年a）。利用系统评价为环境政策提供信息。环境科学与政策，42，67- 77.美国，米尔纳，A. M.，& Boyd，I. L.（2014年b）。环境科学证据的质量评估工具。环境证据，3（1），1-14.DECC（2013）https://www.gov.uk/harnessing-hydroelectric-powerEnvironment机构（2014）https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hydropower-schemes-guidelines-and-applying-for-permission

The UK has an ambitious and legally-binding target to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 (relative to a 1990 baseline) as part of its commitment to limit its contribution to climate change. Achieving this target will require significant changes in how the UK sources its energy; reducing the use of fossil fuels and increasing the use of a mix of renewable technologies such as wind, solar, tidal and hydropower. The UK currently generates about 1.5% of its electricity from hydroelectric schemes, and although further large-scale development potential is limited, there is scope for exploiting small-scale and micro-hydropower resources (DECC, 2013). However, the potential impacts of such development on the environment and its stakeholders must be evaluated and minimised where possible. This NERC Policy Placement at the Environment Agency will gain a detailed understanding of the different areas of potential concern associated with the development of low head hydropower schemes through consulting with a wide range of stakeholders initiated by a project launch workshop event. External stakeholders may include representatives from rivers user groups (e.g. the Angling Trust, Canal & River Trust, Inland Waterways Association, National Association of Boat Owners, the British Canoe Union and the Ramblers Association), environmental bodies (e.g. Rivers Trusts, Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, Natural England, English Heritage, Environment Agency, DEFRA), energy organisations (the National Grid, DECC), and the British Hydropower Association. The understanding gained through consultation with stakeholders will be used to inform a life-cycle analysis that compares the environmental impacts of low-head hydropower schemes against all other forms of electricity generation across a comprehensive list of factors (global warming potential, land footprint, water footprint, abiotic depletion potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, aquatic ecotoxicity potential), including those factors identified through consultation with stakeholders. Systematic and transparent data and literature searches will be used, as recommended in Dr Bilotta's recent open-access publications co-authored by Defra's Chief Scientific Advisor (Bilotta et al., 2014a;b), to ensure that the findings of the life-cycle analysis are traceable and can be updated in light of improvements in the technologies which can occur rapidly. This comparative life-cycle analysis will enable stakeholders and policy-makers to make a better informed decision about the relative merits and drawbacks of different forms of electricity generation on their respective areas of concern. The project will also identify specific design and siting aspects of low head hydropower schemes that are associated with the most and the least environmental impacts, through collating and statistically-analysing existing monitoring data collected routinely in England and Wales as good practice (Environment Agency, 2014), before and after installation of hydropower facilities. This analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and used, where appropriate, to update the good practice guidelines on hydropower development (Environment Agency, 2014). Ultimately, these guidelines will be used to optimise the design of future hydropower schemes in England and Wales, to minimise their impact and maximise their environmental and social sustainability.References:Bilotta, G. S., Milner, A. M., & Boyd, I. (2014a). On the use of systematic reviews to inform environmental policies. Environmental Science & Policy, 42, 67-77.Bilotta, G. S., Milner, A. M., & Boyd, I. L. (2014b). Quality assessment tools for evidence from environmental science. Environmental Evidence, 3(1), 1-14.DECC (2013) https://www.gov.uk/harnessing-hydroelectric-powerEnvironment Agency (2014) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hydropower-schemes-guidelines-and-applying-for-permission