Villrein og vannkraft: Kan regionale planprosesser gjøre en forskjell?

Abstract

Wild Reindeer and hydropower: Can regional planning processes make a difference?

Early hydropower concessions were awarded in times when less attention was paid to environmental impacts. However, legislative changes in 1992 allow for more frequent revisions of environmental conditionalities. This is also the case in the area called Setesdalsheiene, where the conditions for the Sira-Kvina hydropower company's 1963 concession are currently being assessed. Setesdalsheiene is also designated as a national wild reindeer area and «Heiplanen», a regional management plan, has been prepared and is now being implemented. With reference to the concept of environmental policy integration and focusing on political governance, this article discusses the regional planning process in Setesdal and assesses the extent to which the Heiplan has strengthened wild reindeer management in the region. We focus on the Sira-Kvina power company, where specific environmental objectives have been agreed upon with the host municipalities, which can also improve conditions for the wild reindeer population. However, the role of the Heiplan is weak, unclear and minimally linked to the ongoing revision of hydropower environmental conditions. We are discussing how regional planning processes for wild reindeer potentially can impact the environmental conditions that the hydropower production is required to fulfill, drawing on the example of the Sira-Kvina hydropower company. hydropower, wild reindeer management, environmental conditions, environmental policy integration, regional planning processes, governmental and municipal government