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Global proliferation of small hydropower plants – science and policy
Author(s) -
Couto Thiago BA,
Olden Julian D
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1002/fee.1746
Subject(s) - hydropower , incentive , small hydro , renewable energy , viewpoints , sustainability , business , natural resource economics , environmental economics , sustainable development , electricity , environmental planning , environmental resource management , economics , environmental science , political science , engineering , ecology , market economy , art , visual arts , biology , law , electrical engineering
Large‐scale electricity policies that embrace renewable resources have led to continued investments in hydropower. Despite evolving viewpoints regarding the sustainability of large hydropower installations, there has been a major increase in support for the widespread development of small hydropower plants ( SHP s). A global synthesis reveals that 82,891 SHP s are operating or are under construction (11 SHP s for every one large hydropower plant) and that this number is estimated to triple if all potential generation capacity were to be developed. Fueled by considerable political and economic incentives in recent decades, the growth of SHP s has greatly outpaced available ecological science. We provide evidence for not only the lack of scientifically informed oversight of SHP development but also the limitations of the capacity‐based regulations currently in use. The potential indiscriminate expansion of SHP s under the pretense of promoting sustainable energy is concerning, and we identify several important steps to help ensure new scientific advances, effective management, and policy reform in the future.