Environmental Sustainability of Hydropower and Its Adaptation to Climate Change

Abstract

Despite the ongoing technological innovation and the rapidly increasing penetration of new renewable energy sources, the hydropower sector managed to remain a central actor for power production worldwide while establishing itself as a strong support to compensate the intermittency induced by most of these new energy sources. However, the sustainability of hydropower is increasingly challenged by climate-induced hydrological shifts, sediment regime changes, and complex socio-environmental trade-offs. This chapter argues that sustainable hydropower in the 21st century demands a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach that integrates climate adaptation, sediment management, ecological integrity, and social equity. Drawing on case studies and modelling examples, the physical foundations, e.g. climate, hydrology, sediment dynamics, and their interconnections with ecosystems and society are highlighted. As a renewable and affordable, usually low-carbon source of energy, hydropower can significantly contribute to the fulfilment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, any hydropower plant also potentially induces important ecological, social, and economic impacts at the local scale, calling for a sustainable strategy in building and management, but also in existing hydropower infrastructures.