But, in so doing, the controversial project has become the focus for a burgeoning new movement of non-governmental organizations in Iceland. And these NGOs have already made an impression. Tony Snape reports for WWF . The entire region is a wilderness, 150km long and 100km wide. It is home to the whooper swan, golden plover and ptarmigan, to rare flowers, herbs and moss and is an abundant source of hot springs.
Few tourists visit the area.
There are no houses and barely a farm. Huts in the camp set up by the Icelandic national power company are the only sign of human habitation. The reservoir will serve a giant hydroelectric power station. With turbines producing 700 megawatts of electricity, this will be the biggest hydro plant ever built in Iceland and one of the largest in Europe. But none of this electricity will go to homes.