Environmental impacts of river diversion: Gabcikovo Barrage System

An hydroelectric power system known as the Gabcikovo Barrage System was com pleted on a section of the Danube River between Hungary and Slovakia in 199 6. Originally, the utilization of the river fur hydropower production in th e common reach was a joint goal of the two countries. Hungary voided the co ntract in 1989 citing potential adverse environmental effects of the projec t and Slovakia finished the project alone. To put the Gabcikovo Hydropower Plant into operation, the Danube River was diverted into a power channel. i n Slovakia in 1992. This paper presents the environmental impacts of the Ga bcikovo Barrage System in the 6 years since the diversion, as detected and measured by Landsat satellite remote sensing imagery. The: study area was l imited to a part of the Szigetkoz (Hungarian side) and Csallokoz (Slovakian side) region located between flood dikes. This is a unique wetland system with numerous river branches immediately downstream from the dam. The study concluded that a number of important, but limited, environmental impacts a re detectable from the satellite imagery and so the imagery provides a suit able means of monitoring future changes in the region. This case study is t he only known application of satellite imagery for assessment of the enviro nmental effects of a diversion of a major river.