CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON DAMS PROJECTS IN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVER BASINS. THE CASE OF MESTA/NESTOS RIVER BASIN

The construction of big projects, such as a large dam, engages the careful consideration of all the relevant parameters for two fundamental reasons. Firstly, because a dam is considered to be an “installation containing dangerous forces ” due to the massive possible impact on the civilian population and the environment in case of unexpected accidents. It is therefore governed by the rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) [5]. Secondly, from an economic point of view, a dam is considered to be a huge investment, running the risk of failure and of not being operational. This is the reason why a dam’s or more specifically a hydropower plant’s construction study should be coupled with an economic and operational study. On the one hand the construction study should take into account the dam’s purpose, the location and its physical characteristics, the construction technique and materials, and the environmental impacts according to the international and national legislation. On the other hand, the economic and operational study should take into account all the variables which ensure the feasibility of the project. However, since the fuel of a hydropower plant is water, the management of its water resources is essential for the optimisation of the plant’s operation in order to meet power and water demands while increasing overall operating efficiency [10]. Until a few years ago, the vast majority of dams were funded and consequently owned by the public sector