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Biological diversity and functioning ecosystems are basic needs for life, and to let energy production be prioritized before the ecosystem has devastating consequences for life of an ecosystem. This has been seen through how hydropower plants in Sweden have affected the nature, people, and animals around the rivers that are used for hydropower.

Salmon and eel are the most commonly known diadromous species, and are sources of food for other animals that come to the river in springtime. The salmon annually migrate back, upstream, to where they were once born, to reproduce. This implies that there are salmon families native to certain rivers, and once all salmon of one family are gone, then salmon has gone extinct in that river. The eels on the other hand, are born in the northwestern atlantic, and come to the Swedish rivers to eat. They later return to the same sea they were born, to reproduce.

The hydropower plants lie in the way of the migrating species, and the animals either cannot find food because of the lack of oxygenated waters, cannot cross the power plants, or are killed in the turbines within the power plants (SVT, 2021a; SVT, 2021b; SR, 2016).

Hydropower is clean, reliable and acts as a regulating force in the power grid and keep down the need for gas and coal plants. Hydropower is needed, but it is desirable that it does not destroy the environment and affect animal life through its operation.

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As the number of hydropower plants has increased, the fish stock of the Swedish rivers has decreased because of deserted rivers, killed fish, and that e.g., less fish make it all the way to where they reproduce. The rivers are of cultural, emotional, and economical value to the local communities, as seen in the example outside of Jokkmokk where rivers have been deserted (SVT, 2021a). Fishing there is no longer possible, which was of great importance regarding culture and working opportunities. Furthermore, animals that live around the rivers have had to find other sources of food. The decrease in eel has led to legislation in many parts of Europe to either prohibit fishing, or to allow fishing in only a certain amount. Because the eel is an attractive fish on the food markets, illegal eel fishing has become a large industry (SVT, 2021b).

The companies running hydropower plants have taken some measures to improve the possibilities of the fish to cross the plants, as well as compensating the fish stocks by restocking the rivers with farmed fish. For example, some hydropower plants have added fish ladders to let the salmon climb up beside the plants. However, it takes longer for the salmon to find the ladder and figure out how to climb them. Furthermore, the habitat within the waters is still affected by the power plant. Restocking the rivers with farmed fish, or to ship eel from the atlantic to the top of the rivers, still does not solve all problems of a decreased fish stock - since they still have to get through the river on their way back (SVT, 2021a).

There are examples of rebuilt power plants that let fish through, and around, the power plant with a much higher potential of survival rate (Calles et al., 2021;  SVT, 2021b). However, power plant companies claim it is too expensive to rebuild the power plants and choose to compensate in other ways for the killing of fish, and invest in short term solutions. The question therefore remains; what is the sustainable future for hydropower plants? What needs to be done, and what is required for the companies to invest in long-term solutions?

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Isaksson et al. (2015) defines nine important boundaries within the closed system that is Earth and humanity is already considered to be trangressing three of them, one being loss of species. The concept of creating shared value within sustainable development is important in this case. Shared value is defined as policies and operating practices that improves competitiveness while simultaniously benefitting surrounding communities, both economically and socially, where it operates (Isaksson et al., 2015). Some of the hydropower plants presented had adopted practices in line with this definition, and are able to operate in a symbiotic relationship with the surrounding ecosystem. Porter & Kramer (2011) argues that profit should be of focus to companies, but by keeping this focus one should also strive for increasing the total value creation in the system where they operate, primarily guided towards stakeholders such as people and planet.

One common approach in reporting sustainability is through the GRI (global reporting initiative) which many larger companies have adopted (Isaksson et al., 2015). Isaksson et al (2015) argues however that it is difficult to assess the level of sustainability and how companies are approaching true sustainability. Vattenfall, a multinational power company owned by the Swedish state which is mentioned in the films, use the GRI to report their sustainability according to their annual report. The report mentions inititatives such as constructing fishladders, compensational cultivation of fish, cooperation with governmental agencies and interest groups, and inititiatives towards improving small scale plants, which there are approximately 1600 in operation in Sweden. There does not seem to be any follow up on the degree of success of current implementations. How has their inititatives benefitted the fish populations and how much have the number of dead fish been reduced (if they have)? And consequences of certain initiatives do not seem to be taken into account.

Gray (2002) argues that to report on a company's sustainability performance, one needs access to a complete and transparent statement about the extent to which the company at stake has contributed- or diminished- the planets sustainability. Furthermore, he argues that the triple bottom line reporting is not adequate in a complex and detailed report of an organisation's interactions with ecological systems, resources, habitats, and societies, both in the past and present. The task of categorising companies as truly sustainable is daunting due to the complexity and levels of analysis, one starting point is shift attention towards what Isaksson et al (2015) calls crippled bottom line where the ratios people value / planet harm and people value / people harm are indicators of sustainable practices. However, it was also apparent that certain communities were plants had been demolished were thriving due to the surge in tourism when fish population slowly returns. These communities have been able to thrive in a systemic way, benefitting local actors and ecosystem. Perhaps there are more hydropower plants that are excessive where a similar alternative is valid. According to Naturskyddsföreningen (2021) there are about 250 major power plants that provide 98% of generated hydropower  electricity, about 1700 small scale only provide 0.7%.

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Passing Through the Power Plant Turbines

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Passing Through the Power Plant Turbines

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With every hydropower plant, there is another turbine for the fish to pass. Depending on the possible ways for the fish to pass the power plant, the potential survival rate may be higher at some power plants, while less at others. Since most fish need to pass several power plants on their journeys, the total survival rate is generally low - despite rebuilding one or a few of the power plants for safer passages (SR, 2016).

Ammar et al. (2020) found that passing through power plant turbines affects the health of the fish, if they make it by alive. For example, it was observed that many fish developed chronic stress and disruptions in their metabolism. The authors argue that this may be one reason for the previously observed delayed deaths of fish which migrate. Therefore, resupplying the rivers may not be as effective as desired (Ammar et al., 2020). Hence, this is another argument as to why compensating the fish stocks by restocking the rivers is not a sustainable, or fully ethical, solution.

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In Falkenberg, traditional fish passage solutions were replaced with a new kind of facility where the fish are both lead away from the turbines, as well as allowed to take a natural looking way that is built around the plant. The effects of this Falkenberg hydropower plant is studied in an article by Olle Calles et al. (2021).

Calles et al. (2021) found that the combination of new passages and fishways built at the hydropower plant in Falkenberg is an effective solution to let eels pass the power plant safely, in adequate time, and in such a natural way as possible.

Not only was the solution efficient for silver eels, but also for the salmon.

Calles et al. (2021) claim that there is a potential increase from around 8% survival rate to a 70% survival rate if all hydropower plants along the studied river implemented this solution.

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The first film, which interviewed local inhabitants around the deserted river near Jokkmokk, showed to have a negative impact on the inhabitants' well-being and opportunities (SVT, 2021a). Some of them remember the sound of the river which was of great emotional value to them. Furthermore, they say they were promised to continue to use the river, for e.g., fishing. However, the hydropower plants has deserted their river which has taken that opportunity away from them.

There is no opportunity for fishing anymore, which leads to less job opportunities for fishermen. Furthermore, less people want to live close the deserted river and may move out.
Restoring the river would create job opportunites and attract tourists because of the restoration of fish supply. As described by Svensson et al (2010), companies have the responsibility to stakeholders in both to the society and marketplace. They mention that value is not the only thing that needs to be provided but sustainability and social responisbility as well.

There is an unbalanced distribution of responsibilities in this case, currently fishermen are considered to have the most severe consequences to the ecosystem, while plants have been left unaccountable (SVT, 2021a; SVT, 2021b).

Hydropower plants are a great source of renewable energy and supply approximately 45% of demanded energy within Sweden (Energimyndigheten, 2020), however they have not been implemented with a system-perspective. If the argument for not adopting pathways for lifeforms in the watercourses is based on costs, subsidies from government might be necessary. Either way, imposing stricter scientifically-based regulations is essential.

Furthermore, as suggested by one of the inhabitants; engaging the local communities around the rivers and letting them decide under their own organizations how the rivers should be maintained, may be the most sustainable way of keeping the ecosystem alive. The local community has the most knowledge about how the surrounding environment is affected by the river, and should therefore be included in decisions that affect them and the rest of the ecosystem (SVT, 2021a).

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Energy production companies choose not to invest in ecosystem-friendly power plants, because they do not believe it will benefit them economically (SVT, 2021b). They have incentives to produce more electricity due to that the society is becoming more electricity dependent and in 2020 hydropower plants produced around 45% of all electricity produced in Sweden (Energimyndigheten, 2021). Although, as described in the video Dana (Donella) Meadows Lecture: Sustainable Systems (Jennifer Lynn, 2013) she describe that if the goal is growth, unsustainability is inevitable. Isaksson et al. (2015) on the other hand, mention that profit needs to be included but could be in other forms than monetary for it to be considered sustainable.

However, restoring rivers and fish supply, as well as investing in rebuilding existing power plants to restore the function of the ecosystem, is believed to bring economical benefits for all of society, both on a local level and on a national level (SVT, 2021a).

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As demonstrated there are viable solutions for plants that exist in a symbiotic relationship with surrounding ecosystems, such as the Falkenberg example. In repleneshing existing plants, the methods and approaches should be
* grounded in science, such as Calles et al. (2021) article
* guided in a system encompassed perspective
* focused on people value / planet harm and people value / people harm

There are perhaps more economic incentives in making plants more sustainable, since tourism and local communities have flourished in locations where solutions as Falkenberg and those grounded in the above points have been implemented. There are 1600 redundant plants that can be potentially phased out and swapped for an alternative energy source. The surrounding environments at these location can be restored to its former self.

One proposition related to social sustainability is that residents of local communities should have a more important role in decision-making regarding hydro powerplant development. As Koontz (2017) argues, for communities to articulate and enforce their common interest in sustaining natural resources, community members need to effectively participate in decision making. It was also concluded that affected individuals in rule making about resources is critical for sustainable human-environment systems. The Icelandic model briefed upon in the film had an approach where inhabitants and landowners local to rivers had veto on decisions affecting them.

* Removal of small unproductive hydropower plants and restore the environment to the original setting of the river.

* Implementation of clear and strict regulations regarding newly built hydropower plants that incorporate solutions as fish ladders, fauna passages or new techniques presented.  Could also be extended to incorporate already existing hydropower plants. According to Havs och Vatten myndigheten (2021) Sweden will start reconsiderations of hydropower plants continuing over a 20 year period. During this period it is crucial to impose stricter demands for adequate solutions that do not detriment surrounding ecosystems.

* How to create incentives for the companies to perform the changes in the direction of sustainability, beyond goodwill, is problematic. A government supported program for paying for loss of income could be a solution

* Local regulations from displeased municipalities could arise, taking decisions regarding how they would like the hydropower plants in their area to be managed.

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Ammar, I. B., Baeklandt, S., Cornet, V., Antipine, S., Sonny, D., Mandiki, S. N., & Kestemont, P. (2020). Passage through a hydropower plant affects the physiological and health status of Atlanstic salmon smolts. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 247, 110745.

Calles, O., Elghagen, J., Nyqvist, D., Harbicht, A., & Nilsson, P. A. (2021). Efficient and timely downstream passage solutions for European silver eels at hydropower dams. Ecological Engineering, 170, 106350.

Energimyndigheten. (2020). Vattenkraft. Retrieved 2021-12-21, from https://www.energimyndigheten.se/fornybart/vattenkraft/

Falklind, M. (Host). (2021a, 17 october). Fiskarnas Rike: 1. Älven [Tv-show]. SVT.
https://www.svtplay.se/video/32857623/fiskarnas-rike/fiskarnas-rike-alven?position=1991&id=89JzZBD

Fegan, A., Mattisson, K. (Hosts). (2021b, 20 october). Uppdrag Granskning: 1. Den sista ålen [Tv-show]. SVT.

https://www.svtplay.se/video/32908367/uppdrag-granskning/uppdrag-granskning-den-sista-alen

Gray, R. (2002). Of messiness, systems and sustainability: towards a more social and environmental finance and accounting. The British Accounting Review, 34(4), 357-386.

Havs och Vattenmyndigheten  (2018). Nationell plan för omprövning av vattenkraft. Retrieved 9 January 2022, from https://www.havochvatten.se/vattenkraft-och-arbete-i-vatten/vattenkraftverk-och-dammar/nationell-plan-for-omprovning-av-vattenkraft/nationell-plan-for-omprovning-av-vattenkraft.html#h-Tidplanforprovningsgrupper.

Isaksson, R. B., Garvare, R., & Johnson, M. (2015). The crippled bottom line–measuring and managing sustainability. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management.

Jennifer Lynn. (2013, 8 may). Dana (Donella) Meadows Lecture: Sustainable Systems [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMmChiLZZHg&ab_channel=JenniferLynn

Naturskyddsföreningen. (2021). Hur fungerar vattenkraft?. Retrieved 2021-12-22, from https://www.naturskyddsforeningen.se/faktablad/hur-fungerar-vattenkraft/

Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2019). Creating shared value. In Managing sustainable business (pp. 323-346). Springer, Dordrecht.

Svensson, G., Wood, G., & Callaghan, M. (2010). A corporate model of sustainable business practices: An ethical perspective. Journal of World Business, 45(4), 336-345.

Vetenskapsradion På djupet. (2016, 16 may). Fiskens kamp mot vattenkraften. [Radioprogram]. Sveriges Radio. https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/721694

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Här hittar du kortfattad fakta om vattenkraft. Om vattenkraft i Sverige, hur det fungerar och vilka för- och nackdelar det har.