Sustainability in Hydropower Development – “A myth or Reality”

By Joseph Asiimwe

EO/HPDU-UEGCL, Uganda

26th Africa Hydro Symposium22nd – 24th September 2014, Source of the Nile hotel, Jinja, Uganda

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Presentation Outline

1) Introduction2) What is sustainability3) Why sustainability4) The approach to it 5) Key aspects to Consider 6) Conclusion

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1. Introduction

• Nearly a third of the world’s population has no access to electricity.

• Developing Asia and sub-Saharan Africa continue to account, together, for more than 95% of those without modern energy access (WEO, 2013)

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• Without concerted action at least 3.5 billion people, nearly 50% of the global community will face water scarcity by 2025.

• Fossil fuels - GHG emissions that are leading to climate change and global warming.

• Promoting socio-economic development and eradicate poverty, whilst simultaneously halting environmental degradation, is one of the greatest challenge at the start of the 21st century.

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Hydro power generation therefore remains one of the best renewable options for harnessing energy

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Sustainability

Society

2. What is sustainability

Sustainability is to "...meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (UNDP, 2003).

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Society

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3. The Issues – why we need sustainability

Activities of Hydropower can be associated with negative impacts;

• Alteration of river systems• PAPs• Delays• Terrestrial disturbances• Pollution• Litigation• Impacts on downstream operations/activities

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4. A systematic management approach to sustainability

Consider the PDCA approach• Plan what is needed• Determine goals and appropriate methods to use.• Establish objectives and targets for each relevant activity. • Identify activities/issues in the project, that could affect

sustainability(economic, social, and/or environmental issues)• Identify, assess &evaluate potential hazards and risks associated • Consider the legal & institutional frameworks (Permits, concerns of

employees & other stakeholders)• Identify, document, and communicate actions necessary to manage and

control relevant activities,• Resources • Do it– provision of adequate and suitable resources and competencies, using

operating processes, and monitoring and measuring

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• Check that it works– Audits effectiveness in delivery of outputs, achievement

of objectives and targets.– Evaluate results and apply performance measurements.– compliance with regulatory and legislative

requirements.• Act to;– correct any problems,– fix their causes, – improve performance

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5. Key aspects to consider for sustainability

• Political risk and regulator approvals– Interviews with regulators– Assessment of timelines for approvals– Assessment of political stability

• Site selection and optimization– Avoidance of exceptional environmental & cultural resources– Minimum disturbance on existing features & infrastructure– Maximise economic, social & environmental opportunities

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• ESIA process– Adequacy of ToRs– Identification of impacts– Stakeholder consultations– Recommended mitigation & compensation

• Severity of impacts– Ecological footprint

» Energy output/Activities Vs Area affected– Cumulative impacts

» New developments» Un regulated river systems

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• Community acceptance– Identify relevant stakeholders– Conduct consultations– Stakeholder input and feedback– Community dev’t initiatives

• Enhance PAPs– Involvement of local leadership & opinion leaders– Appropriate identification of PAPs– Compensation– Livelihood enhancement

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• Health &Safety– Adherence to national &

international standards– Risk assessment/inspections– Safety training/education– Public health mgt plans/community

health• Construction activities

– Adequacy of ESMPs– Impact of associated infrastructure

dev’ts– Environmental disturbances (e.g

slope stabilization)– Changes to the affected community– Emergency preparedness issues

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• Land management & rehabilitation

• Catchment mgt• Designs for sedimentation &

erosion control– Specific operational rules

• land restoration & rehabilitation plans

• Mgt of terrestrial habitats• Weed/species invasion

• Aquatic biodiversity• Fish passages • Invasive species• Water quality assessments• Biological monitoring plan

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• Eco flows and reservoir mgt• Documented baselines

» River crossectional studies » Biodiversity studies

• Level of stakeholder involvement• Level of regulator support • Degree of integrating the

environmental flow in infrastructure design, operations management and economic analyses

• Degree to which the monitoring and adaptive management program is adequately resourced and likely to achieve desired outcomes – Catchment mgt program

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5. Conclusion

• Sustainability in Hydro power developments is indeed achievable BUT requires sound planning, investigation, sitting, design, mitigation, monitoring and adaptive management

• The inter linkages with technical, Environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable hydropower must also be well understood.

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References

• http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/resources/energydevelopment/energyaccessdatabase/

• UNDP, (2003). Human Development Report 2003. Millennium Development Goals: A compact among nations to end human poverty. Oxford University Press, New York.

Shalom

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