Rivers in Transition

In Sweden and globally, rivers are at the center of a key tension: hydropower is important for energy production, but it also causes ecological damage, leading to growing efforts to remove dams and restore rivers. River restoration works best when it takes people's views and experiences into account. This study looks at how local communities understand hydropower and river restoration along the Rönne å in Sweden, where several small dams are planned for removal. 

This article is led by Emma Gudmundsson and reports on findings from her master's thesis. We collaborated with Emma for our river survey as part of the project Local knowledge of regulated rivers. Her project and the article reports on findings from one of the case study sites in the survey as well as interviews and document analysis. The study shows contrasting views on environmental benefits and impacts of hydropower and highlights the importance of incorporating local knowledge to better understand and manage transitions in regulated rivers.

Gudmundson, E., Stålhammar, S., Thorén, H., Piccolo, J. J., Persson, J., Anders Nilsson, P., Brierley, G., & Scaini, A. (2026). Rivers in transition: Local perceptions of a Swedish dam removal. Ambio. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-026-02396-w