What is it about?
We studied a small-scale hydro power scheme in the hilly areas of northern India to assess its environmental and social sustainability. The project financed small hydro to support different kinds of endeavors from tourism and tea plantations to providing electricity to remote villages. We found that the schemes were generally environmentally sound but that they had some unintended consequences on social and economic side. These could have been mitigated through better stakeholder consultation on the ground.
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Why is it important?
Affordable energy is a fundamental prerequisite for social and economic development. In India like in many developing countries energy demand is growing rapidly and the sources are limited. Many sources are also environmentally destructive. It is necessary to identify and develop environmentally sound renewable energy sources.
Perspectives
In this article I've tried to balance technical aspects with field-based observations of how people in the Indian Himalayas interact with their environment. The article is illustrated with photographs that I took in Himachal Pradesh.
Dr Juha I Uitto
Global Environment Facility
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Small Hydel for Environmentally Sound Energy in Remote Areas: Lessons from the Indian Himalayas, Focus on Geography, September 2008, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/j.1949-8535.2008.tb00220.x.
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