Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Rivers in Transition : Local Perceptions of a Swedish Dam Removal

Gudmundson, Emma ; Stålhammar, Sanna ; Thorén, Henrik LU ; Piccolo, John J. ; Persson, Johannes LU orcid ; Nilsson, Anders LU orcid ; Brierley, Gary and Scaini, Anna (2026) In Ambio: a Journal of Environment and Society
Abstract
Effective and locally supported river restoration requires attention to the social dimensions of rivers. This paper examines local perceptions of hydropower and restoration in the river Rönne å, an early case under Sweden’s National Plan for Modern Environmental Conditions for Hydropower. A mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire and qualitative interviews, explores how inhabitants relate to their river and view the removal of three low-production dams, offering one of the most detailed assessments of stakeholder values in a Swedish hydropower river. The findings reveal important tensions between energy production and ecological restoration: while hydropower retains cultural legitimacy, support declines when ecological costs... (More)
Effective and locally supported river restoration requires attention to the social dimensions of rivers. This paper examines local perceptions of hydropower and restoration in the river Rönne å, an early case under Sweden’s National Plan for Modern Environmental Conditions for Hydropower. A mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire and qualitative interviews, explores how inhabitants relate to their river and view the removal of three low-production dams, offering one of the most detailed assessments of stakeholder values in a Swedish hydropower river. The findings reveal important tensions between energy production and ecological restoration: while hydropower retains cultural legitimacy, support declines when ecological costs outweigh energy benefits. The river holds strong recreational, cultural, and symbolic meanings, embedding dam removals in broader sociocultural contexts rather than solely technical or ecological. These findings highlight the importance of participatory efforts and governance that align ecological goals with the diverse ways people relate to rivers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Dam removal, Human–river relations, Hydropower, Mixed-methods, River restoration, Sociocultural values
in
Ambio: a Journal of Environment and Society
pages
15 pages
publisher
Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
external identifiers
  • pmid:42032421
ISSN
0044-7447
DOI
10.1007/s13280-026-02396-w
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2c525bcb-889c-4c85-b08c-35a531afec88
date added to LUP
2026-03-22 10:47:14
date last changed
2026-04-28 03:03:03
@article{2c525bcb-889c-4c85-b08c-35a531afec88,
  abstract     = {{Effective and locally supported river restoration requires attention to the social dimensions of rivers. This paper examines local perceptions of hydropower and restoration in the river Rönne å, an early case under Sweden’s National Plan for Modern Environmental Conditions for Hydropower. A mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire and qualitative interviews, explores how inhabitants relate to their river and view the removal of three low-production dams, offering one of the most detailed assessments of stakeholder values in a Swedish hydropower river. The findings reveal important tensions between energy production and ecological restoration: while hydropower retains cultural legitimacy, support declines when ecological costs outweigh energy benefits. The river holds strong recreational, cultural, and symbolic meanings, embedding dam removals in broader sociocultural contexts rather than solely technical or ecological. These findings highlight the importance of participatory efforts and governance that align ecological goals with the diverse ways people relate to rivers.}},
  author       = {{Gudmundson, Emma and Stålhammar, Sanna and Thorén, Henrik and Piccolo, John J. and Persson, Johannes and Nilsson, Anders and Brierley, Gary and Scaini, Anna}},
  issn         = {{0044-7447}},
  keywords     = {{Dam removal; Human–river relations; Hydropower; Mixed-methods; River restoration; Sociocultural values}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Springer Science and Business Media B.V.}},
  series       = {{Ambio: a Journal of Environment and Society}},
  title        = {{Rivers in Transition : Local Perceptions of a Swedish Dam Removal}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-026-02396-w}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s13280-026-02396-w}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}