The logo of EcoPeak4Fish project is based in the ancient Chinese philosophy, yin yang. The fish in one side and hydropower in the form of a turbine on the other side. This concept intends to demonstrate how seemingly opposite forces may actually work together and be interconnected. Each of the forces may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. If the development of hydropower is made in a sustainable way, fish and hydropower can live in harmony together in the natural world.
In the turbine side of the yin and yang, 4 attached blades in different colors (black, yellow, green and blue) represent the 4 E’s of the EcoPeak4Fish: Ecology, Engineering and Economy in the profit of the Ecosystem protection. The project plans to contribute to the question “Can we ensure the sustainable development of hydropower energy without compromising the riverine ecosystem, in particular freshwater fish, while maximizing the economic feasibility of HPP?” in a multidisciplinary approach, only achievable by a team of researchers with complementary backgrounds and different perspectives, from ecology, economy and civil engineering and with the support of a hydropower company. Therefore, the four E’s are complementary and mandatory to account for, if the development of hydropower schemes is to be made in a sustainable way.
We believe, therefore, that well planned and cost-effective measures involving the placement of flow-refuges or adapting the HPP operation scheme can ease the impacts on fish without compromising energy production.
The idea and the designed are from Ricardo Pinheiro.
