ID: 2017
Presenting Author: Alexandra Doba
Session: 524 - Power and Perception: Misinformation, Disinformation, and the Environmental and Social Narrative in Hydropower Development
Status: pending
Examines how misinformation and selective communication around Romanian hydropower projects affect public perception, trust, and the credibility of impact assessment.
Romania’s ambition to diversify its energy mix and reduce dependence on external sources has revived public debate around several hydropower projects (e.g., Jiu Gorge, Răstoliţa). Many were designed during the communist period and are now located within or near Natura 2000 sites. Although their generation capacity is modest, they are politically portrayed as indispensable for national energy security. Environmental and social concerns, however, have provoked strong opposition from NGOs (including a series of lawsuits) and local communities, turning a technical issue into a polarised conflict marked by mistrust, misinformation, and selective communication.
This paper examines how competing narratives about hydropower development influence the credibility of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and public confidence in decision-making. Focusing on the Romanian context, where legacy infrastructure meets new energy ambitions, it analyses environmental studies (EIA reports, Appropriate Assessments, and WFD impact assessments) alongside media and social-media discourse. The paper explores how complex evidence is simplified or reframed into politically convenient messages that obscure ecological and climate-adaptation concerns.
Findings show that distorted narratives erode trust in environmental governance. By situating Romania’s hydropower controversies within the global discourse on information integrity and sustainable energy governance, the paper contributes to understanding how distorted narratives shape trust, transparency, and decision-making in hydropower development.
Alexandra Doba is a senior environmental specialist from Romania with over 20 years’ experience in EIA, SEA and AA, dedicated to advancing integrity and credibility in impact assessment prac
Coauthor 1: Marius Nistorescu
Coauthor 2: Florentina Grigorescu
Coauthor 3: Razvan Dumitru