A science-policy network to promote sustainable hydropeaking

Hydropeaking is the term used to define rapid and frequent artificial flow fluctuations in rivers caused by flexible hydropower production. The Network on Hydropeaking (HyPeak) was founded during the 13th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics in 2020 to propose a framework for crossing interdisciplinary perspectives on hydropeaking. Today, HyPeak has evolved into an established international non-profit, volunteer-based network aiming to translate the findings of hydropeaking research into practical applications and policy recommendations. However, bridges across disciplines remain to be developed, particularly regarding the social and economic sciences, whose links with the biophysical research are still weak. Additionally, HyPeak emphasizes the importance of a transnational perspective for researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, as effective river management and collaboration in electricity markets require cross-border cooperation and knowledge exchange. HyPeak focuses on several key research topics: i) assessing environmental effects and related socio-economic issues at various spatio-temporal scales; ii) improving mitigation measures and management strategies; iii) advocating for environmentally sustainable approaches to hydropeaking; and iv) offering recommendations for national and international policies, and the support for their integration. To address these goals, six high-priority tasks have been identified: i) providing an overview of the localization and typology of hydropeaking at a continental scale; ii) standardizing tools characterizing hydropeaking regime, iii) identifying the most informative indicators for assessing hydropeaking impacts, iv) promoting the development of technical approaches to limit the negative impacts of hydropower plant operation on river ecosystems, v) elaborating inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to find a compromise between ancillary, balancing and flexibility services to the grid and ecological sustainability, vi) enhancing the efficiency of knowledge and tool transfer between researchers and practitioners.