This paper is the result of research which included field work, analysis of relevant planning and project documentation, analysis of national legislation pertaining to environmental protection and renewable energy sources (RES), evaluation of project impact on the landscape and, finally, recommendations for overcoming potential problems that may cause conflicts. The paper presents a methodological approach in overcoming the conflicts in protected areas planned for building the small hydropower plants (SHPs), thus enabling their construction. In this context, a special reference has been made to impact analysis of three SHPs on the landscape of the "Golija" Nature Park and Biosphere Reserve in Serbia, as well as to overcoming the problem through environmental conservation, on the one hand, and development, on the other hand. The research results represent a specific contribution in overcoming these problems, which has also been proven in practice, thus making the research applicable. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.