What happened
Two principle decisions have been published for hydroelectric power plant projects in protected areas. Decision No. 158 applies to Qualified Natural Protection Areas, while Decision No. 159 concerns Sustainable Conservation and Controlled Use Areas.
According to Yeşil Ekonomi, the decisions permit the Regional Commission for the Protection of Natural Assets to grant approval to projects that satisfy the required conditions.
A project must obtain an ecosystem assessment report from relevant university departments. The assessment must address how potential harm to the protected area will be avoided and how effects on nature will be reduced. The relevant authority must also find the report acceptable, and the investor must undertake to carry out its provisions.
Why it matters
The decisions create a defined route for hydropower developers seeking to invest in the two protected-area categories. They also make ecosystem evidence and commitments to mitigation measures central to project approval.
Developers will need to secure the required university assessment and demonstrate that the proposed safeguards are adequate. Approval depends on the regional commission’s assessment and the authority’s acceptance of the report.
