Hydropower: Dimensions of social and environmental coexistence

Hydropower came into the energy matrix as a consequence of a sequence of technological innovations in the late 19th C. Rapidly expanding electricity demand turned hydropower in numerous countries into an "energy bridge". The rise of public awareness of environmental issues of the early 1970s put hydropower into a coexistence mode. This narrowed public acceptance of hydropower as an energy source and reduced significantly its role in the energy matrix in numerous states. In the academic literature it was downgraded as a major energy source, and the sector attended the technical aspects professionally, but the decision makers treated the dam-site and reservoir area population with woeful neglect. This aspect is addressed to restore balance to hydro-project studies. News reports about select specific cases are presented as examples to address this complex issue. Hydropower continues to serve as "energy bridge" in many parts of the world, but in most countries it can only provide a fraction of the total electricity needs. Its coexistence with other electricity sources plays a major role in environmental protection. It has to be noted that irrigation projects, urban water supply systems, flood control installations and recreational dams fail to articulate comparable disfavor noted for hydropower. Hydropower projects are notable imprints upon the landscape. Agricultural land uses are by far the most extensive of all, and these are indisputably essential. Balance in analysis should guide needed initial analysis throughout. Contemporary hydropower projects and those under construction include environmentally sensitive technical improvements to minimize the project's environmental impact. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.