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Hydropower electricity generation is considered one of the cheapest technologies regarding electricity generation costs, and it is the most traditional, clean, renewable energy source. However, despite the environmental benefits offered by hydropower, they also can have negative impacts and consequences in the environment affecting water quality and disrupting river ecology. We investigated the environmental effects of four small hydropower plants (SPH) in north-west Spain by looking at the water quality of the four river stretches where the SPH plants are located. The physicochemical and biological characteristics of the water streams were analyzed, as well as the riparian ecological quality. Results showed that the presence of the hydropower plants did not significantly influence the physical and chemical characteristics of the water. There were no alterations of the benthic macroinvertebrate community at any of the plants except for one, and the riparian habitat was in general classified as good quality or close to natural conditions for all plants.

Surveys have been used to study the current perception towards wolves by different stakeholders such as ranchers, landowners, hunters, experts in the field, and employees of the environmental administration in the provinces of Pontevedra and A Coruña, in the northwest of Spain. The main objective of this study is the evaluation and further discussion of the compensation offered to affected people for damages caused by wolf attacks and whether such compensations represent an improvement in the degree of tolerance towards these animals. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found among the different sectors interviewed, with the hunters being the least tolerant sector, followed by ranchers. The number of attacks in the area was proven to influence their perspective toward wolves and the need for preventive measures. There was unanimity among hunters, ranchers, and locals, who do not consider the tools provided by the Galician administration sufficient to palliate the damages produced by wolves. However, 53.8% of ranchers, the group whose livelihood will most likely be affected by wolf attacks, and 60% of the wolf experts believe that compensation does not help to reduce tolerance towards wolves. Losing an animal makes people more likely to agree to the use of lethal and non-lethal methods.