On February 6, 2025, the EcoPeak4Fish project concluded with a final event at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) – Campus Alameda, bringing together researchers, industry professionals, and stakeholders to discuss key findings and future directions for sustainable hydropower and aquatic ecosystem conservation. The event was also accessible online, for a broader engagement. The project led by Instituto Superior Técnico, gathered the participation of Instituto Superior de Agronomia, NOVA Business School and Economics and Hidroerg reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing the environmental challenges posed by hydropower.
The afternoon began with a welcome session and coffee, setting the stage for insightful discussions. Isabel Boavida (IST/ULisboa) opened the presentations with an overview of the EcoPeak4Fish project, highlighting its achievements over the past four years.
The event continued with José Maria Santos (ISA/ULisboa) presenting on fish microhabitat use in small hydropower plants, followed by Isabel Boavida discussing solutions for hydropeaking mitigation. The session also featured Maria João Costa (ISA/ULisboa), who explored experimental flumes and river-scale flow refuges as solutions for habitat enhancement.The flow-refuge prototype was presented and it’s successful application was also assessed and shared with the participants. This framework proved to be an important measure for monitoring impact mitigation measures.
After a coffee break, Jeffrey Tuthan (TalTech) presented the innovative approach to automating river monitoring for sustainable hydropower. He showed the algorithm behind fish counts and the assessment of the fish species and fish length.
At the end, the event went discussed the social and economic aspects of sustainable small hydropower. Francisco Godinho (Hidroerg) addressed public perception on hydropower and the ecosystem services provided by small hydropower systems in rural areas. Isabel Boavida presented the work from the colleague Rui Mota from NOVA SBE discussing strategies for joint management of habitat conservation and energy production. How we can incorporate a multiobjective function considering habitat and profit into sustainable management.
The event gathered a diverse audience, including representatives from academia, environmental organizations, and the hydropower sector. The final remarks highlighted the significance of the EcoPeak4Fish project in bridging research and practical applications for hydropower sustainability. While the project has concluded, the knowledge generated will continue to support decision-making for mitigating hydropeaking impacts and enhancing fish habitat conservation.
