Who gains from saving nature
Ledger 1 : 33 — For each dollar financing nature-based solutions in 2023, about $33 financed activities harmful to nature. (UNEP)
Cases / Wind, hydro and other renewables · Turkey · 2011–2020

Turkish court annulls Loç Valley hydropower approval; 117 villagers on trial

Short record: the main facts, with sources. A full case file has not been prepared.

Nature's voice · report
No measurement of the harm done to me here is on record.
Did nature suffer? Not measured.
What the record lacks: 3 none on record · 1 insufficient · 1 not measured · 3 unclear See the gaps

A Turkish administrative court annulled the environmental approval for the Loç Valley hydropower plant in Cide for a second time in 2020, and the Council of State rejected the developer's objection. Bianet reported that 117 villagers had been on trial since 2012, and the valley's stream is at stake.

What?
A court annulled the environmental impact approval for the Loç Valley hydropower plant for a second time in 2020. bianet
Where?
Loç Valley, Cide district, Kastamonu province, Turkey bianet
When?
Approval annulled in 2011 and 2020; villagers on trial since 2012. bianet
Who?
Gained
None on record
Lost
  • Plant developer (not named in the sources reviewed) — Objection to the annulment rejected by the Council of State, per bianet (2020) bianet
Harmed
  • 117 villagers — On trial since 2012, per bianet (2020) bianet
Why?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
How?
Environmental impact assessment approval for a hydropower plant, annulled in court. bianet
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

The Kastamonu Administrative Court annulled the environmental impact approval for the Loç Valley plant for a second time in April 2020, relying on an expert report, according to bianet.

The Council of State rejected the company's objection, bianet reported in 2020.

Bianet reported that 117 villagers had been on trial since 2012.

According to the sources reviewed, the impact approval was annulled in 2011 and again in 2020.

    In court and with insurers

    Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

    Lawsuits and rulings

    1. 2020Outcome not on record
      Loç Valley hydropower environmental approval, second annulment
      Kastamonu Administrative Court · Administrative · Not named in the sources reviewed → Not named in the sources reviewed

      Annulled the environmental impact approval for the plant a second time, relying on an expert report. bianet

    2. 2020Outcome not on record
      Loç Valley hydropower objection before the Council of State
      Council of State (Danıştay) · Administrative · Not named in the sources reviewed → Not named in the sources reviewed

      Council of State rejected the company's objection, according to bianet (2020). bianet

    Insurers

    No insurer decision on record.

    What we don't know

    Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.

    Nature

    • Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.

    Court

    • Unclear Loç Valley hydropower environmental approval, second annulment: outcome not on record.
    • Unclear Loç Valley hydropower objection before the Council of State: outcome not on record.

    Record

    • None on record The sources reviewed also say the Council of State had earlier reversed a first annulment, but the date and sequence are not clear.
    • Insufficient Reported but not verified: a 2011 KTÜ study that small hydropower construction harms stream water and fish stock; only a summary was available.
    • Unclear Whether the plant is operating, and whether the required minimum environmental flow is kept, is not stated; no national compliance measurement was found.
    • None on record The developer and its owners are not named in the sources reviewed.
    • None on record The outcome of the case against the villagers is not stated in the sources reviewed.

    Did the harm stop?

    Not stated in the sources reviewed.

    Who paid?

    Not stated in the sources reviewed.

    Sources

    Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

    Connected cases

    Related matters, and cases linked to this one through the same organisations, with the role each played in both.