The International Hydropower Association has released Better Hydro: Compendium of Case Studies 2017, a collection of case studies highlighting good practice in sustainable hydropower development. The 34 case studies are based on assessments carried out under the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol. The protocol is “a tool developed through multi-stakeholder consensus that measures the sustainability of projects across a range of social, environmental, economic and technical considerations,” IHA says.
The case studies are written by accredited assessors who carried out the assessments on-site.
Twenty-three topic case studies focus on specific aspects of development, such as indigenous people, cultural heritage, economic viability and water quality. Five project-wide case studies cover a broad geographical scope and focus on different stages of project development. And six more general initiatives are detailed that demonstrate innovative local and regional approaches.
“By using the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol, project developers have been able to identify gaps in their practices and processes, and better understand how they can be addressed,” said Richard Taylor, IHA chief executive. “This has brought forth some invaluable information for the sector as a whole, but until now this has not been made widely accessible.”
— Hydro Review, June 2017