1, Christine Bratrich

vir
onmental NGOs (E)
Cooper
ate
Stic
k to position

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projects, divided into four working groups that tackled
specific problem areas:
–
A first group focused on developing new tools for de-
termining minimum flow regimes. It coordinated its
research activities towards a proposal for assessing
minimum flow regimes for alpine river stretches
(Moosmann et al., 2002). The group developed nu-
merical models to predict and analyze changes in
habitat quality for fish and benthic organisms (Jorde,
1997; Schneider et al., 2001) and changes in the tem-
perature and chemical regime as a function of mini-
mal flow requirements (Meier et al., in press). 
–
A flood-plain group analyzed exchange processes be-
tween ground water and riparian ecotones (Holocher
et al., 2001). The biodiversity of benthic organisms
and the importance of sediment transport were ana-
lyzed.
–
A market and policy group concentrated on the
emerging Green Power market. It analyzed successful
marketing strategies (Wüstenhagen, 2000), analyzed
preference formation and learning processes of con-
sumers (Truffer et al., 2002a), analyzed eco-labeling
initiatives world-wide (Truffer et al., 2001a) and
looked at complementary policy measures to enhance
the effectiveness of Green Power markets (Markard
and Timpe, 2001; Markard and Truffer, 1999).
–
A fourth group was responsible to develop the assess-
ment procedure for operation and design alternatives
of hydropower plants (Bratrich and Truffer, 2001). 
Work began with a case-study phase. The natural science
research groups located their empirical work in the Ble-
nio valley in the southern Swiss Alps. The Blenio valley
is the catchment area of the river Brenno, which is used
by a major power plant with 400 MW production capac-
ity and a seasonal storage reservoir of 100 Mio m
3
. Its en-
vironmental features formed an ideal learning space for
carrying out an integrated study of several aquatic sci-
ence aspects of hydropower use. The lessons from this in-
tegrative approach were used as input into the assessment
procedure.